Moonstones and Silver
by State.Of.Grace.777
Summary: Follow Thalia as she watches her friends move on with their lives while she is stuck as a fifteen year old. What will happen when she wants something the hunt can't offer her? And why are her dreams haunted by a diamond eyed wolf? The rating may change, but for now it is rated T for language and suggestive themes. Also mentions of abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is my first fanfic and I really hope you like it. Please review and let me know whether I should continue. I ****will try to update as much as possible, but I am working from 7 to 5, so please be patient. I do not own PJO. All ****credits for PJO characters and settings goes to Uncle Rick. There is however a lot of OC's that I do own and I will try to upload self ****drawn pictures of them for you. Enjoy the story!***

Jake POV

I stared at the word now engraved on my chest. The word that now marred my chest just beneath my color bone. Just another addition to my life story sprawled out across my body. Just another insult. Just another lie, as my mother would say, but was it really a lie? Not this time. I am a mutt, just as the crimson letters state. Thanks to the white bite-marks on my neck and across my shoulder blades. I should probably introduce myself. My name is Jacob. Jacob Tyler. Everyone just calls me Jake though. I chose my mother's name because apparently my father has built a new life for himself with a wife and two perfect little children. He doesn't want me, never has, so why should I acknowledge him? My stepfather, Oliver Stone, simply adores me though…note the sarcasm. Sure, he was nice at first. Protected us. That was until we found out he had a bit of a temper and had a very lethal condition when enraged, or at least lethal to those around him…

A condition he had passed on to me. You see, he's a werewolf. A _Lycanthrope,_ as he calls himself, and after one little nip so am I. My mother fled the day it happened because she didn't like her chances of survival with two of us. I was seven when she left. I don't know where she went, if she ever made it to her destination or if she's still alive. I've spent the last ten years of my life under my stepfather's, I should technically say alpha's, reign. Now at seventeen the only things I know how to do are run and kill.

I walked over to the waterfall just outside camp with a limp to try and rid my body of the previous night's events. Unfortunately there's no waterfall for my mind though. I stared idly at nothing as I felt the water cascade down my back as my alpha's face came to the front of my mind. His contorted features as he grunted and cussed. I remember the pain of his fist upon my body, emphasizing his cruel words. The tears running down my cheeks as I obeyed every last command like the pathetic dog I am. Biggest downside to being a werewolf? Definitely the obedience thing. All pack members must obey their alpha, no matter how absurd the request is. Biggest upside? The heightened senses. I could hear the beast breathing deeply end evenly in his tent. I could even hear the slight thumping of his heart.

I shuffled out from under the clear, icy water and got dressed. I slipped my ring on. The moonstone laced with white gold my mother gave me before she left. She said it honors Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and protector of animals. She said it should keep me safe. I guess it makes sense since I am an animal. That same ring doubled as a glamour charm to hide my scars, my shame. I headed for the clearing in the middle of camp where there was always a fire roaring. Beside the fire was a small Asian girl with raven hair cut into a short bob. She glanced up at me with her fiery, chocolate eyes and a sad smile played at her plump pink lips.

"Morning Jake" she said standing up, putting her lean 5'3'' body on full display. I'm not sure full is the right word though, because she was dwarfed by my own 6'5'' body. The surprisingly petite daughter of Ares joined the pack just over a year ago. She was found hiding from monsters, nearly dead, and Alpha dearest just had to _save_ her.

"Morning Melanie, I see you got started on the food." I said pointing at the bubbling pot over the fire.

"Well, I thought you might need a break this morning…" she said, avoiding my eyes at all cost.

"Thank you" I said simply. I was very much aware of what she was thinking, even without the mental link. Another downside to the being a werewolf…your thoughts aren't private, or at least not while you're in range or outrank the others. Luckily I outrank all but the beast himself. I really don't like reminders and if everyone knew exactly what happened when the beast and I was alone, I'd be facing challenges every hour until I'm dead. I sat next to her and stared at the pot. We've learnt that the easiest way of feeding 22 meat crazed mouths was to just throw meat into a pot with a few other filler ingredients. Needless to say, it's a pretty big pot. We sat in silence for a while before she shyly looked up at me.

"I'm sorry you have to go through…" she drifted off and I fixed my gaze sternly on the fire, refusing to look at her. She must have seen my body tense because she continued with "…that…so often." Her voice was so small and fragile I couldn't be mad at her for mentioning it. She is one of my best friends after all and at least she thinks the beast is only hitting me. Speaking of best friends, it was at that moment that the lanky, 6'3'' blond figure of Sam plopped down on his mate's other side, pulling her into his lap and nuzzling the back of her neck. A small giggle escaping her lips.

Sam Johnson. Pack medic and my honorary brother, although he's technically my uncle. The son of Apollo was brought in six years ago. He was frightened as Hades, but who could blame him. Sometimes, when I look at the now strong, dangerous, 16 year old, I can't believe that he was ever so weak. The pathetic 10 year old boy is so long lost that he could never possibly have existed.

-Flashback-

I felt the red hot pain on my cheek as yet another arrow went wide.

"You're a pathetic little shit!" Fred, my instructor, sneered as he shoved me forward as an order to go fetch the arrow. When I returned Alpha was waiting along with Fred.

"Come along pup, there is a surprise waiting for everyone back at camp" Alpha said with an evil grin that made my mind scream at me to run for hills. Run and never look back, but despite my mind's best efforts, my body just simply had to obey the command. 'Come along pup' and that is exactly what I did. I followed the other two back to camp.

In the middle of the clearing was a small boy clutching desperately at the hem of his shirt in the hopes of finding some comfort as 4 wolves circled him snarling. As we approached the wolves morphed back to their human forms and the boy just about collapsed. He slid down onto his knees, sky blue eyes wide and red rimmed with tears.

"What is your name, son of Apollo?" Alpha's voice boomed and all fell silent. Even the crickets refused to make a sound.

"S-s-s-s-s…" he stuttered, starting to hyperventilate in his efforts to talk.

"Spit it out runt!" Alpha raised his hand and just before he could bring it down onto the boy I slipped into the shadows and reappeared right in front of the smaller boy. I felt that red hot pain for a second time and Alpha growled in frustration, literally. I don't know why I did it. Maybe it was because I saw myself in the boy, my own fears, own tears. Maybe I just couldn't stand the thought of another innocent boy being hurt. Maybe it was my inner wolf that made me protect the weak or maybe I just did it out of sheer stupidity.

"Please" I said, my voice as small as ever, refusing to look up at the black pools I knew was hatefully glaring at the top of my head, "He's just frightened, don't hurt him." I whispered almost to myself, already flinching away waiting for the blow and unsurprisingly Alpha's boot sent me ten feet to the side.

Alpha returned his icy stare to the boy, "Well runt? I asked you a question." He said flatly.

The boy stared at me and answered without turning away, "S-S-Sam Johnson" his voice was nearly inaudible, lips barely moving as he continued to stare at me as if frozen in all movement.

"Well Sam" Alpha said clapping his hands together, "Welcome to the Moonstone pack" he stalked over to the boy grabbed an arm and bit the boy right above his pulse…

-End of flashback-

"How you feeling man?" Sam asked in that deep, soothing sound he calls his voice.

"As always, fine Sam" I said with a sigh. Concern flooded his eyes for a moment before he continued his lighthearted nibbling of his Melanie's neck. He knew better than to pry the subject. He knew that if I ever wanted to talk about it, he would be the first to know. Not that I would ever want to talk about it. It should be buried deep where no one will ever find it.

"Looks like Dad's busy..." he said as he watched the sun already high in the sky. Why he keeps on calling that joke his father I will never know. I mean the poor bloke was at Camp Half-blood since he was five and has been here since he was ten. He has never even met the sun god. His '_dad_' has never done one single thing to help him, just like mine. That being said, the camp around us started bustling as everyone woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, just a quick word. Can anyone guess who Jake's daddy is?**

Thalia POV

If you are wondering what it's like to watch all your friends grow up and start their own families while you are stuck as a fifteen year old…it sucks. I never see them. I can barely IM them because they're all so busy. Even Annabeth has grown distant, what with her raising four kids. Kelp Head apparently wanted a nice big family and was ecstatic when Annabeth's last pregnancy resulted in twins leaving them with four kids. He was ecstatic because right when they found out she was pregnant she told him it's the last time because three kids is her limit. He said the twins were a sign from the gods that they should have more children. She responded be getting a hysterectomy. Jason isn't much better. He and Piper have their little princess, so guess dear old sis had to take the backseat. I swear that kid might as well join the hunters now because there is no way in Hades that Jason is going to let boys anywhere near his baby girl, especially not since she inherited Aphrodite's beauty.

Nico had a girlfriend back in New Rome but then he fell in love with Reyna and left the girl to pursue her. That wasn't the big surprise though. What surprised everyone was that Reyna fell in love with him too. They got hitched and had twins. Hazel and Frank continued their life without much drama and had three boys, ugghhh…and Leo. Well Leo went missing after the Giant war. I say missing because Nico couldn't find his soul in the Underworld after the rest of the seven asked him to make sure he gets Elysium.

So you can imagine my relief and joy when Artemis came back from visiting Dad on Olympus with an assignment. Finally I had something to do.

"Hunters!" she called, "We have received an assignment from Zeus himself. Olympus has a new enemy. The enemy is not known, but it is known that an army is being built. Half-bloods are being kidnapped and bitten into a new Lycanthrope pack. These kidnappings started six years ago and over fifty half-bloods have been taken. Our job is to find this pack and eliminate it before the enemy can utilize them." she looked over each hunter, searching for any sign of doubt or protest. All my joy died away into my shoes and I was left with despair. Kill other half-bloods? Are you serious? Then one of the new hunters, Jasmine, stepped forward.

"Do we have to kill the entire pack, my Lady?" she asked with a frown "Can't we just eliminate the leader? They are half-bloods after all. Shouldn't we rescue them?" she continued sounding more unsure with every word. Her grey eyes lost their piercing brightness as soon as she saw the somber expression of Artemis.

"I am afraid we must eliminate them all because these half-bloods will never again be accepted in the demi-god world. They are now classified as monsters and regrettably must die as such. They are lost to us." Lady Artemis said with a sad sigh. After a moment of silence Lady Artemis looked over at me and said "Well lieutenant, ready the silver arrows and hunting knives and prepare the girls. We set off in two days."

I offered her a brief nod before I turned to the hunters "Right…" I said in the strongest voice I can muster, because truly none of us wanted to kill fellow half-bloods. Even if they are technically monsters now, but we have to for the sake of Olympus "…you heard Lady Artemis. Ready the arrows and knives. I want them sharp enough to pierce dracon hide." My voice rang out and in an instant the rest of the hunters started bustling around camp.

I turned to see Artemis with a dark expression on her face. "My Lady, there is no other way. Were…I mean, Lycanthropes, are too unpredictable. We can't save them." I tried to reassure her with as much confidence in my voice possible, but her sad eyes made my voice waver at the end.

"I am the goddess of childbirth Thalia, I watched as each and every one of them came into the world and now I have to be the one to take them out of it. It's going to be a very sad day for all the gods. Many of whom will not agree with my actions." She said staring up at the sky. As I stood there watching the goddess I realized just how strong she was. She held love for each child born in this world, a love nearly as strong as a mother's love, and her heart was breaking because her duty to Olympus comes first.

"I wonder if father would be so adamant if it was one of his children…" she said mostly to herself and then her eyes snapped to me as if she just remembered I was still there.

"Go prepare lieutenant, we have much to do in little time!" the goddess said, her steely mask returning to her features.

"Of course my Lady" I said with a nod and hurried off towards the armory to help the rest of the hunters.

I kept thinking about what Lady Artemis had said. 'Many of whom will not agree with my actions'. Oh great. That's exactly what we need. The gods disagreeing on something again. Maybe even threatening war on each other again. Is that what this unknown enemy wants? The gods divided. If that's the case I'm truly going to be pissed. I'm fine with the gods messing with our lives...well maybe not fine, but used to…but I am not going to be happy if the gods' enemies are messing with our lives to start a war among them.

My thoughts went back to Jade, a hunter that went missing a few months ago. She was a daughter of Demeter. She always grew the best strawberries to cheer the younger hunters up. Very sweet girl with auburn hair and leaf green eyes. Artemis had simply said that she was lost to us. Was she kidnapped by this pack of werewolves? Was she running around with them now or was she simply dead?

Finally my thoughts went back to the silvery blue eyes. The eyes as bright as diamonds. The eyes that haunted my dreams every night. The eyes surrounded by midnight fur. Every night it's the same dream. The midnight wolf running in the shadows of the forest. The shadows seemingly drawn to it, merging with it. The wolf suddenly stopping dead in his tracks and then piercing me with those diamond eyes. It's just for an instant, but it feels like forever. I get lost in those eyes. Then the wolf tilts his head back and howls. A sound full of sorrow, but oh so beautiful and strong. A sound that seems to be both a cry for help and a war cry before battle. Then the wolf disappears into the shadows and I'm swallowed by darkness as if the wolf's eyes were the only light source.

Those eyes make my heart beat faster and stop all at once. I know it sounds like a heart attack, but this has never happened before. Not even with Luke…Luke's eyes made me feel warm and safe. His smile too. The guy I thought was made for me couldn't make me feel like that. I became a hunter because I thought I would never find someone better. _You are a hunter, Thalia, for Zeus's sake! You shouldn't be thinking about how beautiful anyone's eyes are._ How breathtakingly beautiful those eyes sparkle like diamonds. How those eyes are the light in the darkest pit of shadows. How those eyes…_no, Thalia! You are a hunter! You will not be getting weak in the knees because of eyes or a wolf for that matter! You will not be getting weak in the knees because of anything! You are a hunter..._but is he really a wolf or is he one of the half-bloods taken by the werewolf pack?

I suddenly realized that all the hunters were staring at me with wide eyes, and when I looked down I saw why. I was so lost in my train of thought that I didn't feel myself cutting my hand while sharpening a knife and was covered in blood. I hastily got up and bolted towards the little stream nearby. Luckily wasn't a deep cut and a tiny sip of nectar healed it right up.

As I walked back to camp, something caught my eye. A streak of sandy colored fur racing away from camp. I started to race after it only to trip after a few feet. I looked down and there was mess of wires around my ankles. When I finally detangled myself I was alone in the woods. I raced back to camp to find it exactly as I left it. I decided that whatever I saw couldn't have been a threat if Artemis hasn't sent the hunters after it so I returned to the armory to sharpen arrows and knifes.


	3. Chapter 3

Jake POV

After every one was fed, we started the day's training. The beast sent Alex to scout the hunters' camp right after breakfast. _Apparently_ our existence isn't a secret anymore and we might be hunted. I really don't understand how he could think that nobody would notice that over fifty half-bloods went missing in the last six years, and those are only the ones who came from a camp. We've had 86 new recruits in total. Frankly I'm surprised that it took the gods this long to realize that something wasn't right.

I made my way through the woods along with Sam and the girls, Mel and Jade, to get some target practice in with our bows. Also, to teach Mel to use a bow. After a year she still had problems with shooting an arrow, much to the frustration of her mate, the son of Apollo. Poor Sam had vowed not to give up on her until he had her shooting like a hunter. That's where our dear Jade Watson comes in. Being a former hunter, Sam is using her as a demonstration dummy.

We watched as she took her stance and nocked an arrow. Her 5'8'' lanky frame poised in a proud posture. Her auburn hair pulled back and braided quite messily with thin vines. Her eyes, which usually blends into the trees so perfectly, now dark and fierce with concentration. She pulled back the string and anchored her hand by the corner of her mouth. Those rosy pink lips pulled into a tight line against her sun kissed, blemish free skin. There was no evidence of the little dimple in her left cheek whatsoever. I suppose that's why she and Alex are so perfect for each other. Both are frustratingly determined to be the utter best at what they do.

Alexander Baxter, the 6'2'', sandy haired, fiery hazel eyed son of Hepheastus who makes weapons so fine that even Zeus would be falling over himself to get his hands on one. It took me about a month to learn how to use the triple stringed bow he made me properly. Damn, the thing's got some serious fire power.

"Now Love, you see her stance?" Sam asked Mel in a soft tone, motioning towards Jade's feet "They are shoulder width, you see that? And look at how she anchors her string hand. And how she keeps her other arm straight as…well, an arrow…" Sam said with a little chuckle. Jade let the arrow fly and hit our little makeshift target dead on.

"Okay, I think I got it! Let me try." Mel said with so much enthusiasm that I could almost believe that she might succeed this time. How she stays so positive is beyond me. I leaned against a tree trunk as she took her stance and Sam immediately corrected it with a few tugs here and there. She nocked an arrow and drew back the arrow, anchoring it on her chin. Her chocolate eyes hooded by her bangs and turning almost black in concentration. Sam went to stand behind her to keep her posture straight. She let the arrow fly and Sam, Jade and my jaws hit the floor. Her arrow actually embedded itself an inch from Jade's arrow.

"I hit it." Mel said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She turned to Sam and plastered her biggest smile ever on her face. "I hit the target!" she squealed in delight as she threw herself into his arms. He just continued to stare at the arrow, stunned into silence as Mel kissed his cheek. Her celebration was short lived though as we heard a familiar howl calling us back to camp. We raced back to find the beast and a fidgeting Alex beside the campfire. The entire pack started to file in from different directions.

"Baxter here has brought news for us…" The beast said in his best tell-tale voice "…tell us Baxter, what have you learned while scouting the hunters?" he asked Alex in an almost caring tone we all new to be fake.

"The hunters have received orders from Zeus himself to hunt us Alpha, just as you thought." Alex said, lowering his head as required when addressing higher ups "They are to set out in two days' time and they are building their armory of silver arrows and hunting knives as we speak." He said, with his head still lowered.

"And did anyone see you, Baxter?" the beast said in a curious tone with a venomous undertone which showed that he already knew the answer.

"One hunter as I was retreating Alpha." Alex said in a small voice, drawing into himself. "But she was caught in one of the wire traps I set as I went in, Alpha. She didn't get the chance the chance to follow me" He said in an even smaller voice. He knew it was pointless to try and lessen his punishment for being seen.

"I don't care if she didn't follow you mutt!" the beast growled and poor Alex retreated into himself even more "She knows you were there, which means that the hunters now know that we know about their plans, which may cause them to set out earlier you little shit" he growled even more fiercely and raised his hand.

Again I don't know why I did it, but I leaped forward and caught the beast's arm before he brought it down on Alex.

"Point is Alpha…" I said in the strongest voice I can muster "We are being hunted by the best hunters on this earth, and with an armory full of silver weapons no less. We must set out as soon as possible and try to avoid them. Alex has done a good job."

The beast glared at me with pure hatred in his eyes and I tried to keep all fear out of my thoughts. Fear is weakness and I can't show weakness in moments like this. He pulled his arm back and straightened himself, putting on a mask void of all emotion.

"You're right pup" he said in a sickly sweet voice "We must do everything in our power to avoid them. I think a group of us should lead them off course, don't you agree?" he asked as if he actually cared about my opinion.

"Yes, I do Alpha. I believe it wise to divert them." I said in an indifferent voice, my mask just as void of emotion as his.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed in mock happiness, clapping his hands together "You volunteer to lead this party then. Come along, pup…" he said as he turned and headed toward his tent "…we must discuss details." He said and I followed into the lion's, or in this case wolf's, den.

Once we were alone he cleared his throat and continued in a businesslike manner.

"You will lead a group to divert the hunters from the pack at all cost. That is an order from your Alpha, understood pup?" he asked with raised eyebrow.

"Understood." I replied through gritted teeth.

"Good, you will take Johnson, Baxter, Chan and Watson with you." He said in a clipped tone. "Now as for the disrespecting me in front of the pack. It seems you need another spanking just to _remind _you who you belong to." He said with a wicked grin "Bend over."

Once again I just had to follow the command…

**Okay, just some fun facts behind the characters' names. Jacob is believed to be derived from the Latin **_**Iacobus**_**, which was from the Greek ****Ιακωβος**_** (Iakobos)**_**, which was from the Hebrew name **יַעֲקֹב_**(Ya'aqov)**_**, which means "may God protect". I chose this because I wanted to show that even though his mother fled, she always tried to protect him.**

**Sam I got from Samson, which is from the Hebrew name **שִׁמְשׁוֹן_**(Shimshon)**_** which meant "sun". Alexander is the latinized form of the Greek name ****Αλεξανδρος**_** (Alexandros)**_**, which meant "defending men" from Greek ****αλεξω**_** (alexo)**_** "to defend, help" and ****ανηρ**_** (aner)**_** "man" (genitive ****ανδρος****). In Greek ****mythology**** this was another name of the hero ****Paris****.**

**Melanie is from the French form of the Latin name **_**Melania**_**, derived from Greek ****μελαινα**_** (melaina)**_** meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman ****saint**** who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.**

**Jade I chose as the feminine version of the masculine name Jadon which means means either "thankful" or "he will judge" in Hebrew.**

**Please remember to review. If I don't get reviews I'll take it as you guys telling me not to continue and then this will be the last chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I got a message telling me to continue, so here's the fourth chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Please review or PM me, telling me what you think.**

Thalia POV

On the morning we set off on our hunt, we found a few wire traps around the camp. Exactly like the trap I got caught in. I felt a little guilty for not telling Artemis about what I saw, but in my defense, I wasn't even sure of what I saw exactly. A little further we found fresh wolf tracks along the stream I washed my hand in, heading south. It was strange that the tracks were not only so close to us, but also that they were so out in the open. It was almost like we were meant to find them.

"Should we follow the tracks my Lady?" I asked Artemis, who was crouched down next to the tracks, examining them.

"I know it seems a little strange, but it is our only lead. These tracks are but a day old, which means if we hurry, we can find the wolves that made them." She said in the businesslike tone I've grown accustomed to on hunts.

"These tracks were made by a small pack though my Lady…" Jasmine said thoughtfully "…it could be a diversion from the pack, but then they must have known that we were hunting them. Then again with the traps around camp, we can assume that they were spying on us."

"Off coarse you're right, daughter of Athena." Artemis said as she stood and stared at the tracks. "If they were spying on us, they would have heard me tell you that we must eliminate all the wolves…" she started just thoughtfully as Jasmine "…these tracks were made by no more than five or six wolves. If they believe that we are going to kill all wolves on first sight, five or six wolves, in a pack of over fifty wolves, are small sacrifice to keep the rest safe." she said, and fixed her steely gaze on the south horizon. She stood like that for a second and then turned to us, with determination in her eyes. "We follow these tracks, but we capture the wolves and use them to track the rest of the pack." And with that we followed the tracks south.

I tried to stay focused on the hunt but my mind kept wandering towards those diamond eyes that haunted my dreams. Last night's dream was different. For one, the wolf knew I was there the entire time. He kept glancing back, waiting for me to catch up to it. He made sure I was following him. I followed him to a deep pool with a waterfall. He led me to the edge of the pool.

It was simply beautiful. The reflection of the full moon on the water bathed the surrounding forest in silver which just intensified the sea of blood red poppies that surrounded the entire pool. When I looked around again the wolf had disappeared, but there was a figure under the waterfall. I saw a muscular back wrapped in smooth olive skin, leading up to a slender neck topped with midnight black hair with long, skillful fingers moving through it. The man turned around and I was met with diamond eyes that swallowed me whole, and that was my last sight before I was woken up by another hunter.

My mind kept going back to the man, his eyes. I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize Artemis talking.

"Lieutenant! If you could focus it would be greatly appreciated." She huffed and I heard snickers from the rest of the hunters.

"I apologize my Lady, what were you saying?" I said feeling the heat rise up neck into my cheeks.

"I said we will set camp here and continue in the morning. I must see to my duties, so you will be in charge until I return, understood?" she asked briskly.

"Yes my Lady. We will await your return to continue." I said with a nod and slight bow. She started to shimmer and we all averted our eyes before she flashed out.

"Set up the tents and start a fire. Jasmine, Kelly, you will come with me to find dinner." I ordered and turned with the two girls short on my heels.

We found three rabbits, some wild onions, garlic and tomatoes, which meant we had a feast of rabbit stew. We even found some strawberries for dessert. It was the best meal we've had in a while. Throughout the meal though, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. I even thought I saw some movements in the shadows of the trees. None of the other hunters seemed to notice, because they kept up their joyful banter and joking. It must have been my mind playing tricks on me.

My mind kept going back to my dream. The man with the diamond eyes. The eyes that swallowed me whole. Is he the one of the wolves we're tracking? Did his pack decide to sacrifice him to guarantee their own safety? Or is he the leader, the monster who kidnapped all those half-bloods? I stared into my bowl of stew and I lost my appetite as something suddenly dawned on me. The wolves were at our camp. Set traps around us, watched us, and spied on us. They did all that without anyone noticing. Not even Artemis knew they were there. Why should I believe they aren't here now? Watching us again.

"I'm going to go look for a stream or something so we can wash up before bed…" I said setting my bowl down "…Jasmine, you will keep an eye out till I come back."

"Sure, lieutenant." She said with a bright smile.

I made my way to the tree line. Hunting knife in hand. I left the light and warmth of the campfire behind as I walked into the shadows. I kept walking into the darkness until I heard water flowing. I followed the sound and came to a clearing bathed in moonlight. A deep pool with a waterfall, surrounded by a sea of blood red poppies. I caught my breath. It looked even more beautiful than it did in my dream, but there was no figure under the waterfall. I took a few steps toward the water. I knelt down by the edge of the pool, just like in my dream. I looked around and I was still alone in the clearing. I looked down into the still water and a scream escaped me because along with my own reflection, was a wolf. A midnight wolf with diamond eyes.

I spun around and found myself pinned to the ground, my knife scattering into the sea of poppies. I looked up at the wolf and met the eyes that surely haunted my dreams. Those silvery blue diamonds that carried so much emotion, but the one emotion I didn't expect to see in them was curiosity. In all my dreams the wolf seemed so regal, so knowledgeable. How can it be looking at me with curiosity? I acted on a whim. Don't ask me why I did it, because I really don't know. Maybe it was just out of pure idiocy, but I found myself open my mouth and speak.

"Hey, how you do'in?" I said with a small smile. He tilted his head and a sound suspiciously like a chuckle came from his throat. I don't know what I expected but I know that I didn't expect him to actually answer me!

"Why quite well actually…" he said in a deep, husky voice. I yelped in surprise and earned another chuckle from the wolf pinning me to the ground. I was stunned into silence. He kept staring at me and I got lost in those priceless gems.

"How are you?" he asked after a while. I started stammering nonsense and yet another chuckle emanated from his throat. I heard a whining sound and his head snapped up toward the shadows. I tried to look in the same direction, but as I struggled to tilt my head he simply disappeared and I was left alone in the sea of poppies once again. I hurried back to camp and found everyone still laughing together around the campfire.

"Lieutenant, did you find anything?" Jasmine asked brightly.

"Umm…" I couldn't process anything for a while but then it registered what she asked "…yes. Yes, I found a pool with a waterfall a little ways into the forest." I said and silence spread across all the hunters.

"Are you alright, lieutenant?" Kelly asked attentively. The daughter of Hephaestus stood and made a motion towards me. I took a quick step back out of her reach.

"Yeah, fine…" I said quickly "…just tired. That's all. I'm going to turn in. good night."

I hurried toward my tent and fell face first into my pillow once inside. I struggled to fall asleep. My mind was filled with diamond eyes and sexy chuckles. _Wait, sexy? No, no I can't think like that! I'm a hunter._ Oh, but that chuckle…_no, Thalia! Stop it!_

When I finally fell asleep I still couldn't escape those eyes and chuckle. I was lost in a sea of red and the air was filled with a deep, husky chuckle. I was pulled out of the sea of red into a pool of gems.

"Follow me, love…" the voice breathed into my ear. Shivers ran down my spine and I jerked awake. I stepped out of my tent. I froze in my steps. My hunting knife was embedded in the ground with 'you dropped this' engraved in the soil. My heart leapt up into my throat.

He was in the camp…


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi, here I am again. Here's the fifth chapter. Read it, love it, review it. Fun fact, real wolves actually do run and hunt through the night and sleep through the heat of the day. Hope you enjoy the story :)**

Jake POV

"We really should be going Jake…" Alex whispered, his shoulder twitching slightly. Poor bloke really wasn't meant to be in the field like this. That's why he makes us the best weapons. He always says that it's the best way he can protect us seeing as he's not the best fighter.

"…she's the one that saw me. She's the fucking lieutenant. Do you really think she's not going to tell Artemis you ambushed her?"

"Ambush? Really, Alex?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, let's see shall we? You followed her from the camp, which could be seen as stalking prey, given what we are…" he whispered and I just rolled my eyes. He narrowed his eyes at my and continued in a yell-whisper "…then you pounced on your prey. That's how they're going to see it! They'll be coming after us double time! We really need to go…" he almost whimpered the last bit "…we need some distance between us or we'll all be dead by noon." He pleaded, tugging on my arm.

"Fine." I huffed and took one last look at her tent. I could smell her scent, the smell of pine swimming in ozone. I don't know why I felt so drawn to it. I listened to her deep breaths as she slept and could faintly hear her mumble wait, in her sleep. My heart felt torn as I turned and set of at a jog before morphing into a wolf.

Why would I feel so strongly about someone I've never really met? I only saw her today and I'm already following her like a lovesick puppy. Pathetic! I'm supposed to be leading my pack mates, my friends away from them. Away to safety. Protecting my pack against all dangers and keeping them safe. Not leading them into their certain deaths…_wait, did I just say _my _pack? No, this is Alpha's pack. I'm just leading a mission. _A mission I've lost track of since I saw those stunningly beautiful, electric blue eyes…

"Jacob!" I heard Sam's voice ringing in my head.

"What?" I growled back.

"Relax man. You were the one who completely spaced out." He said as he pulled up to my right flank. I just put on a burst of speed. I didn't feel like talking about it and the faster we went, the harder they had to focus on keeping up with me and the less they'll focus on talking. Off coarse that plan backfired when Jade pulled up to my left flank with easy strides. Damn those long legs of hers!

"You know, if you keep up this pace, we might lose the hunters…" she said and I could hear the grin in her voice rather than see it. "…that and I think my poor firebug might drop dead from over excursion." She said glancing back quite nervously. I slowed to fast trot and started to look for signs of water nearby. My own throat was feeling a bit dry. I could only imagine how Alex and Mel must be feeling. Being of low status meant that they didn't go hunting with the pack that often, which in turn meant they weren't that used to running.

We found a stream about a mile later, and decided to rest for a while. The first light of dawn was beginning to play at the horizon, painting the night sky with violets as we said our farewell to the dark. Sam and Jade went to look for breakfast while Mel and Alex clutched their sides, tacking long, ragged breaths.

After finishing the wild piglet Sam and Jade caught…no judgment, all that running works up an appetite…we headed out again. Our plan was to keep in the forest which meant we will need to lead the hunters as far south as the forests allow and then double back north. We stopped for the day right about noon. We found a cool cave close to a waterfall and the other fell asleep instantly as I took first watch.

As I watched over their sleeping figures, I couldn't help but think we were all still pups. Forced to grow up before our time by the gods most demigods live to serve. I could see why someone would want to dethrone them. I could see reason in the beast's madness, even if it wasn't his own.

My mind went back to those electrifying eyes framed in black eyeliner. The walking contradiction I instantly felt drawn to. Her eyes seemed to be lanterns in the middle of shadows. Her hair, pitch black and spiky, yet it seemed so silky soft. Her skin seemingly so fair, but covered in the cutest freckles…_hold up, did I just describe something as cute? _Well, there really isn't a better way to describe it. Her body…oh, her damn body…so petite and beautiful. The 5'9'' figure looked so vulnerable, but then again seeing her with that knife, she seemed absolutely predatory.

Is this how Sam felt when he first saw Mel? He's just told me that the moment he smelt her scent, he knew she was the one. This brings me back to the biggest contradiction of all, her scent. The smell of pine, so earthy and rich, mixed the smell of ozone, so fresh and light. I have no idea how all this comes together without her spontaneously combusting. I let out a deep sigh and buried my face in my hands. I'm really acting like a love sick puppy.

"She's really special you know." Jade said as she plopped down next to my. I would've yelped in surprise if I didn't know she was coming. Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like for someone to sneak up on me. I looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Lieutenant Thalia." She clarified.

"So that's her name…" Thalia. That could work. _Blossoming _in Greek. Strange that I would find her the most beautiful blossom…_dammit_, _that was just plain cheesy._

"Yip…" she said, popping the 'p' "Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus himself." She said giving me a meaningful look. It was no secret that I didn't harbor love for the gods.

"That ruined it…" I said with a smirk. Jade lightly punched my on the arm with a little chuckle.

"There's something I need to tell you Jake…" she said, her voice low and serious al of a sudden.

"Sure, you can tell me anything Jay." I said, still not sure what brought the sudden change.

"I've never thanked you" she said fixing her gaze on me.

"Thank me? What for?" I was truly surprised. I was part of the group that kidnapped her. I was ordered to bite her. What would she be thanking me for?

"For being the one who bit me. Being the one to take me into the pack, for protecting me." She said, her eyes never wavering from my own "If it wasn't you, I don't think I would have made it so far. You at least regret it…" I dropped my gaze. Here she was, thanking me for ruining her life. She hooked her finger under my chin and made my look at her. "…I would never have met Alex. I would still be parading around as a man hater, but that's not what I needed to tell you. I just needed to say that first…" she took a deep breath and I braced myself. I don't think I like surprises. "You are my alpha." She said and there was silence for I while.

"W-what? Y-you can't be serious!" I half stammered, half whispered and half screamed all at once.

"I follow you, always have, and always will. I pledge my loyalty to you. Not that swine of a wolf." She said with a growl "Now go get some sleep, Jake. You're going to need it." she said as if she didn't just commit treason. An offence punishable by death if discovered. I shuffled into the cave and took a spot beside Alex. I lied there, not quite believing what I just heard.

"Just you know…" Alex whispered after a while "I'm with her on the whole alpha thing." I think my brain just short-circuited after that, because the next thing I remember was Sam waking me up for another night of running.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, sorry for the little delay. We had a family day and I lost a day of writing. Anyway, here's chapter 6. Hope you enjoy it and please remember to review. I really want to know what you guys think.**

Thalia POV

Over the next week I found constantly myself frozen in thought. I found myself searching for diamonds in the shadows. My heart would flutter every time I thought I saw a swish of a tail or a streak of fur. My dreams were filled with a midnight wolf telling me to follow him and then melting away to shadows. I would yell after him, telling him to wait, to stay and then I would wake up frustrated to the point I just wanted to scream.

I didn't tell anyone he was in the camp. I covered the message carved in the soil immediately and went back into my tent. I don't know why. Why I am so protective of, so drawn to this wolf…no, man…I will never be able to understand. All I know is that he's good, very good, at running. Artemis has never had as much trouble with any hunt as she has with this hunt. Sure they leave their prints and half eaten carcasses, but other than that they don't leave much. Their scent is different, too different.

Normally wolves all carry the same scent, the pack's scent. That wasn't the case with these wolves though. They each had a different and unique scent. That was great for us though, because we had five scents to follow. There was no shortage and it made things easier. What we didn't expect was for all five scents to up and disappear, leaving us with nothing but the tracks and carcasses. So right now, we're following the tracks quite blindly. We don't know if were still following all five wolves, or exactly where they are. They could be doubling back and watching us follow their tracks without us even knowing. For some unknown reason my heart starting beating a little faster at the thought of those silvery blue eyes watching me.

Artemis was so frustrated with the hunt, or more likely herself for finding it so difficult, that the rest of the hunters moods were being affected. We all became very short-tempered. We have never been so hostile towards each other. Our sisterhood was definitely taking a toll. It's funny how when your leader, your rock, shows weakness, everything falls apart. It was at the end of the week that the tracks suddenly turned back north.

"That's just great!" Kelly, the daughter of Mercury huffed, throwing her hands in the air. "We come all this way down here, just to be led back up. Am I the only one who thinks this is just a wild goose chase?" she was all but screaming at the end.

"Calm yourself Kelly…" Artemis said in a clip voice, clearly irritated herself "…we have no other choice but to follow…" she said with a groan "…besides these are the freshest tracks yet." she said with a sudden enthusiasm in her eyes. "They're close, very close." She said in a hushed tone, as if she was afraid that saying it too loud would jinx it. As if on cue, there was a howl raking through the woods. Not a majestic and proud howl, but a whimpering howl. The wolf was definitely in pain.

We raced towards the sound and the scene that awaited us shook me to my very core. There, in the middle of a clearing, were three wolves battling a pack of ten hellhounds. The three wolves were surrounding, protecting might be a better fit in this situation, two men. The one man was blond and was hovering over the other man, who was lying in an ever growing pool of blood. It was a horrendous sight.

"Eliminate the hellhounds!" the order rang out from Artemis like a war cry. We nocked our arrows and in a matter of a few seconds the hellhounds were reduced to a pile of golden dust, leaving the three wolves and men completely dazed. They probably didn't think we would help them.

"Lieutenant, fire!" Artemis called out. I knocked the dipped arrow and took aim at the first wolf, an auburn colored wolf with green eyes. We have certainly been preparing for this for some time now. When we decided we would rather capture the wolves instead of eliminating them just yet, we dipped a few arrows in tranquilizer liquid. We did not have darts, therefore we had to improvise. The plan was to shoot the wolves with the, for lack of better words, tranquilizer arrows. We just had to make sure the shot was non-lethal and then our medic would heal their wounds. It truly was the best we could do.

Unfortunately the wolves didn't know that. I let the arrow, which I was aiming at the wolf's leg, fly and in a moment a cloud of shadows was covering the wolf and out slipped a midnight haired man. The man took the arrow in the gut. It took me a second to realize that the man's clothing was badly torn and covered in blood. I realized he must have been the man who was lying in the pool of blood only seconds ago. He then looked up and my heart sank into my shoes.

There, on his knees with my arrow protruding from his already scarred midriff was the man who's been haunting my dreams every night. Silvery blue diamonds looked up at me with one single question swimming in them. Why? I wish I could give him an answer. It as if our paths were destined to keep crossing, although I wouldn't mind if it never had to cross like this. I was in a complete stupor. I didn't even hear Artemis's order to keep shouting. The blond haired man was next to him once more a second later with the other wolves surrounding them again, snarling and growling at us.

I acted on instinct again. I rushed forward. Straight past the three wolves, who seemed to shock to react quickly enough? Suddenly I found myself kneeling in front of the man, cradling his face in my hands, telling him how sorry I was. Begging him to hold on. Telling him everything will be alright, but he was already failing. His eyes were starting to close. His head was starting to drop. Cassandra, daughter of Apollo and our medic soon joined me and went to work on his wounds, using a normal steel knife to get the arrow out. The wolves seemed to be in shock, for none of them moved, not even the blond haired man.

"I need to speak to your leader." Artemis said firmly as she stepped forward and we continued to work on the man's wounds.

"Well you could if you didn't just shoot him!" the blond haired man actually growled.

"Oh, well I guess you can't go anywhere without him and we really need him to wake up, so hunters…" Artemis's voice rang out with her usual authority "…we set up camp here. Cassandra, you make sure that that man is healed up as soon as possible. " She ordered, her steely mask back in place, all traces of her earlier annoyance gone. Cassandra carried the man off to heal him and the rest of the hunters started bustling around to set up camp. "As for the four of you…" she started as she turned towards the three wolves and man "…you may wait for your leader to be healed peacefully or we will have to detain you. We will not harm you, I assure you." She said in a very businesslike manner.

"And why should we trust you?" a dark wolf morphed into a short Asian girl and asked.

"You have my word as a goddess daughter of Ares." Artemis said in a cool voice and the girl's eyes widened in realization. The auburn wolf morphed into a girl as well and I recognized her instantly.

"We trust you my Lady…" Jade said, bowing her head "…I must ask though, what do you want with Jacob?" so that was his name…

"We know you're pack is over fifty strong my dear Jade." Artemis said stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder "We simply need you to lead us to the rest of your pack." The last wolf morphed into a sandy haired man and he came to stand next to Jade.

"Actually, my Lady…" he said taking Jade's hand and earning a confused look from Artemis "…there is only seventeen other Lycanthropes…" Artemis seemed even more confused at that "…and the five of us aren't part of that pack…"

"…But Jake would be able to explain everything once hes back on his feet." The blond haired man cut him off in a clipped tone, draping his arm around the Asian girl's shoulders.

"Very well, but in the meantime, my hunters need some dinner." She said in an equally clipped tone "Lieutenant, you will lead the hunt for dinner." She said only glancing at me. I gave her a quick nod and set off to find our dinner.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi, here's chapter 7. Hope you like it. The story should be getting a little more depth after this chapter, or I'm at least going to try, because it's going to be al little more about the characters emotions. Read it, love it, review it! :)**

Jake POV

When I woke up, the first thing I was aware of was pain. My whole right side was stiff and even the smallest twitch of my fingers sent a jolt of pain through my body that made me want to scream, cry and curse. The second was familiar blue eyes framed by long straight blonde hair. Wait, long and straight? No, Sam's hair was short and curly. My eyes shot completely open and I was met by a girl with the exact same eyes as Sam. Sam, the others, where were they? I had to find them.

I jumped up, which I immediately regretted. My head was spinning and the pain nearly had me sick or on the brink of passing out. I don't know which I would have preferred. On the one hand I needed to be awake and find my pack. On the other I really just wanted relief from the pain, even if only for a little while. I pushed that thought down and made my way out of the tent. The tried to tell me to lie back down but I paid her no mind. All I needed to do was to find my pack. Once outside the tent I froze. Why was I in a tent in the hunters' camp? Did they kill my pack? I was on the verge of hyperventilating when I heard a familiar voice.

"So you're at least alive and well…" Sam said coming up from behind me "…my damn '_sister'_ wouldn't let me anywhere near that tent." He huffed, annoyance so clear in his features that I wondered what happened while I was out.

"Yeah, you know me…" I croaked in a raspy voice I hardly recognized as my own "…I'm very hard to kill." I tried to smile but turned into a wince as the cuts across my cheek strained.

"You really should lie down man…" he said, worry evident in his eyes "…you're not ready to be up and about yet." He said taking my left arm and starting to lead me back to the tent "You lost a lot of blood. It's going to take some time to recover"

"Take me to the others first. I need to make sure they're all right." I said with all the determination I could muster. Sam started to chuckle.

"Damn, when will you ever stop to worry about yourself?" he said and I narrowed my eyes at him "Fine, I'll take you to them, but they're really fine and you shouldn't even be walking." He said with a sigh rolling his eyes.

We walked towards the edge of camp and it struck me that the hunters were bustling around us without even glancing at us twice. Seriously, what happened while I was out? He led me to the very edge of camp where there was a little camp fire and around the fire sat the three figures of my pack, my family. It's amazing that so much can happen in merely two days. We shuffled closer and Alex turned his head. He sprang to his feet and ran to, which I can only presume, catch me up in one of his famous bear hugs. Luckily for me and my consciousness Sam stopped him before he could touch me. Jade and Mel was right behind him.

"You gave us such a scare!" Mel scowled for a split second before she gave me a small smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Why on earth would you take an arrow for me when you're already half dead? You're an idiot!" Jade all but screamed and I raised my eyebrow at her "Okay, fine…" she huffed crossing her arms "…thank you for trying to save me." I gave her a fully-fledged grin, ignoring the sting in my cheek, and she gave me a kiss on the cheek as well. All the while Alex stood off to the side, not really sure what to do since his first instinct was denied. He was fidgeting, opening and closing his mouth like fish on dry land.

"I'll be fine as long as you do it slow and softly." I told him and he lit up like a five year old on Christmas morning. He stepped forward and pulled me into a hug, thankfully it wasn't as tight as usual. He isn't one for words so this is how he shows his emotions, through his actions. We stood there for a moment, then he took a deep breath and took a step back.

"Don't do it again!" he said, his face the most serious I have ever seen it "She's my mate dude, I'll save her." I couldn't help it. I broke out in laughter. This was not what I expected from my lovable little brother.

"Well, I'm certainly glad to see you up and happy to boot." I heard a familiar voice. I've heard the same voice bark out orders to the hunters.

"Lady Artemis." I turned and bowed my head in greeting "I am feeling better now. Thank you for your concern." I have never met a god or goddess, but I've had a few lessons in showing respect.

"My medic tells me that you are very lucky to be alive. May I ask what exactly happened before we arrived?" she asked in a very businesslike manner.

"Off coarse my Lady, but may I ask why we're still alive?" I kept my tone just as businesslike as she. She narrowed her eyes at me but I stood my ground. Never let anyone see weakness.

"We need you to find the rest of your pack." She said taking a step towards me.

I gestured towards my family with my hand " This is my entire pack my Lady…" I said and scrutinized me with her gaze, clearly searching for any sign that u was lying "…as for your question. A large pack of hellhounds came across our unusual scent and it confused them. They attacked." I continued in the businesslike tone.

"Your pack mate said that there are seventeen other wolves, but you say this is your entire pack." She said with a small smile playing at your lips "Which is true?" she asked in mock innocence, obviously thinking she has already found glitch in my story. I could feel what a toll just standing up was taking on me. I walked over to the fire and sat down motioning for Artemis to do the same. It was only then that I realized that Thalia was at her heels, sitting down next to her.

"Let me tell you a little story my Lady." I said, keeping my tone clipped. I spared a glance at Thalia and her eyes immediately dropped to the ground. "We were a pack of twenty two wolves when the five of us were sent on a mission…" I started but was interrupted by the goddess of the hunt.

"Only twenty two? We have report of over fifty half-bloods who were kidnapped by you." She said.

"Oh but those were only the ones from either camps or your hunters…" I said gesturing to Jade "…we had a total of eighty six recruits." I said and their eyes went wide. "A low mortality rate isn't exactly one of our perks. As I was saying, we were sent on a mission to lead you away from the other seventeen wolves. It was within this mission that my fellow pack mates pledged their loyalty to me as their alpha and thus we started our own pack. We are no longer part of the Moonstone pack. We hold no threat to Olympus, I assure you. We simply want to live in peace. Do you have any more questions my Lady?" I felt pretty smug for actually shocking the goddess.

"Will you help us hunt the wolves that do hold threat to Olympus?" she asked after a beat, all businesslike again. I glanced over to my brothers and sisters and found my answer without any difficulty. They were all shouting the same thing in my mind.

"Off coarse my Lady." I said with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's chapter 8. Hope you enjoy the little fluffiness. Please read it, love it, review it! :)**

Thalia POV

"Off coarse my Lady." Jacob said with a smile "On one condition though…" he continued holding up a finger. One of those beautiful skillful fingers that he ran through his hair in my dream…_Stop it Thalia! _"…you must grant my pack immunity." He said with his face all serious and businesslike "We will help you if you let us live and let us be once this is all over. I swear it on the river Styx." Thunder boomed across the sky.

"Very well, we will let you and your pack mates live after this is all over. You have my word as a goddess." Artemis said lifting her chin a little. Jacob raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not impressed. "Fine…" huffed the goddess "…I swear it on the river Styx." Thunder boomed again and a smug little smile played on Jacob's perfect lips…_wait, perfect? Dammit, stop it!_

"Good…" he said shifting so he now sat on the ground leaning back against the log he was sitting on. He looked completely relaxed and I wondered how anyone could relax in the presence of a goddess. I've been in the hunt for about twenty years now and I still sit up straighter at the very mention of Artemis's name. Yet here he was laid back and talking to her as if she was his equal. "…now the Moonstone pack should be on their way to camp Half-Blood right about now." He said, still all business even though his lithe body was draped over the log.

"Why are they going there?" I asked. I knew that it was the reunion week at camp and all of the seven and their children would be visiting. If the wolves were heading to the camp I had to warn my friends.

"You think we don't know about the little reunion?" he asked turning those diamonds on me, raising an eyebrow and my heart started to beat faster involuntarily under the heat of his gaze. "By sending us on this little mission, the beast lost three of his best hunters, even if he would never admit it." he said glancing at Jade and the blond guy. "He said he was going to look for replacements and who better than a few legacies of the big three?" he said with an even voice. I nearly started hyperventilating. They were going after my friends' kids, my niece? How was he just sitting there so calm and relaxed?

"The beast?" Artemis asked with a frown.

"Our former alpha, my Lady." He clarified.

"Very well…" she said "…I have another question. Why is it so easy for you to help us? They are your former pack after all and you must still harbor some loyalty towards them." She asked narrowing her eyes.

"Trust me, my Lady, each of us have reason to screw the beast over and none more so than I." he said and there was a flash of anger in his eyes that had me thinking just how dangerous he was for the first time in the conversation. "May I just request that I be the one to rip his throat out my Lady?" he said with a smile playing on his lips as if he was looking forward to the gruesome act.

Artemis scanned over his entire body sizing him up. When she was satisfied that he was serious she gave him a slow nod and his smile spread wider showcasing his ivory teeth. He truly seemed like a masterpiece of rare and expensive materials, especially with his olive skin that seemed to be flecked with gold.

"Now I think it's time for some introductions, don't you my Lady?" he asked with raised eyebrows and continued without waiting for an answer. "My name is Jacob Tyler, but please call me Jake. I am also a legacy of Apollo." He said with a hand over his chest. "Next we have Jade Watson, who you already know is a daughter of Demeter and excellent hunter." He said waving his arm over at Jade who smiled at us and gave Artemis a little bow. "Then there's her mate Alexander Baxter, son of Hephaestus, or rather Vulcan. I'm not really a fan of the Roman names. He prefers to be called Alex though." He waved over the sandy haired guy. Artemis seemed horrified.

"Mate?" she practically screamed and Jade and Alex winced, with Alex stepping back just slightly behind Jade. Jake continued as if Artemis never made a peep.

"Next, we have the little fire cracker Melanie Chan…" he said with a fond smile and I felt a pang in my stomach…_wow, stop it Thalia…_she stepped forward with a little wave "…daughter of Ares. She prefers Mel though and last but certainly not least…" he said actually standing up to put his arm around the blond haired guy "…we have her mate Sam Johnson." I felt a wave of relief flood over me "Son of Apollo, pack medic and my honorary brother." he said smiling at Sam and Sam just rolled his eyes.

The next day we set off to camp Half-blood around eight o'clock with the wolves alongside us in their human form. They said something about it being too hot to run around as wolves. I've already IM'd my friends to warn them and tell them to be safe. I tried to focus on our path but my eyes kept darting to Jake and his pack, laughing like they didn't have a care in the world. I thought back to my dreams. Specifically the one I saw him under the waterfall. The water hugging each well-defined line of his muscled back. I got lost in my thoughts and I off course just had to trip. I saw the earth racing towards my face and I stopped inches from the ground with a strong, warm hand pulling me back up.

"Careful now." The husky voice said with a hint, just a hint, of mirth hidden in between. I turned and I was instantly lost in pools of diamonds. I felt like I should be singing 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend'.

"Will do." I said with a shy little smile. What is this guy turning me into? I am Thalia, daughter of Zues! I am not nor was I ever shy. This guy has me obsessing with how I look and how I walk and how I smell…I'm pathetic! He just went back to his pack and continued on his way like he never even left them.

When we stopped for the night, Artemis told me to test our new comrades' skills. That's why we got our archery targets out and had each of the wolves lined up to a target. First up was Alex. His arrow found the target about a foot off the center. Apparently he's not the best shot. Jade tried to tell him it was alright but he seemed to be determined to sulk about it. Next was Jade and her arrow was dead on as per usual. Third was Mel. Her arrow pulled a few inches to the left but she was a fairly good shot. Her mate knocked two arrows at once and both found the center of the target. He was smiling very smugly at Jake raising an eyebrow. Jake simply knocked an arrow and drew it back. His gaze never wavering from Sam.

"You know, you really should look at your target when you're shooting" I said, not even bothering to hide my skeptical tone.

"Should I now?" he asked in an innocent, mocking tone I really didn't care for. His eyes still never wavered from Sam. I was about to answer yes when he let his arrow fly, eyes still locked on Sam, and it hit the target dead center effectively wiping the smug smile off Sam's face. He knocked another arrow, turned his gaze to me and split his first arrow. My jaw dropped to the floor. Sam looked positively sick.

"You're an ass, you know that right?" Sam said with a disgusted look on his face. Jake only chuckled in reply. That heavenly sound that has been haunting my dreams since our little encounter at the waterfall.

"Yeah, I know." He replied simply, a dark look on his beautiful features. _Yes, I'm not even trying to reprimand myself anymore. I may have sworn off men, but I can still appreciate it when the gods have done a good job for once._ The dark look disappeared as fast as it came and he punched Sam's shoulder playfully.

The pack offered to hunt for dinner and about an hour later they returned with a small deer. Jade grew some herbs and vegetables and strawberries for dessert. They were just so comfortable with their own bodies and with each other. Their relaxed nature even spread to the hunters. We laughed and joked and for the first time in a long time, we felt like a family. It was pretty much the best night I've had in twenty years.

As it got late, the hunters went to their tents and the pack morphed into wolves, explaining that's its more comfortable to sleep in that form. I remained until everyone was gone. I didn't want the night to end. I almost felt like I was back on the run with Luke and Annie. I sat there beside the fire lost in my memories of a small blonde girl slashing her knife oh so fiercely. I didn't even hear someone approaching. I jumped when Jake plopped down next to me.

"You should get some sleep, Lieutenant." He said with a small smile and I watched the flames dancing in his eyes, making them sparkle even more.

"I don't want the night to end." I said softly. I don't know why I was opening up to him. I've tried to keep everyone out since Luke. Afraid of getting hurt again. I had a feeling he would never hurt me though. He just felt safe somehow.

"It was a good night…" he said taking my hand in his. I didn't pull away. It felt too right. "…but we can always have more sky princess." He said kissing the top of my hand and pulling me up to stand. He walked me over to my tent and I never once resisted. I just followed like a five year old being led off by their mother. He let my hand drop when we stood outside my tent.

"Sweet dreams." He said with a wink as he held back the tent flap so I could go inside. My dreams were filled by diamonds and soft lips caressing my skin that night. It was definitely the best night I've had in twenty years.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's Chapter 9. Hope you enjoy it and please review if you do :)**

Jake POV

I've always been able to control my inner wolf fairly well but when I saw Thalia sitting by the fire all alone I had some issues. I was like a moth drawn to flame. I didn't even mean to go to her but next thing I knew I was sitting next to her. My inner wolf was screaming at me all the while to claim her, make her mine. When I was kissing her hand it was all I could do not to give her a little nip. The only thing that stopped me was the thought that I _needed_ to be stronger than the Beast. That thought did more than keep me from biting her though.

I couldn't sleep after that. I looked over my pack and my heart clenched. I am their alpha now, and an alpha's duty is to protect his own. If I'm not stronger than the beast, he _will _kill them for treason. Therefore I have to kill him first. Not only for them, but to free myself. Let me clarify. Wolves can only have one mate at a time. The alpha could off coarse impregnate a wolf that is not his mate, because the alpha is the only wolf in the pack who may sire pups. Point is, once you have a mate, you must be loyal to said mate until they die or face the same fate as the traitors. If you haven't noticed, loyalty is pretty much the core of a happy wolf pack.

Now why do I need to kill the beast to free myself? Go ahead and guess who he chose as his mate….if you guessed the seven year old son of his lover, you'd be dead on. Now, you might be wondering how he could choose me if one, my mother was his mate, and two, as far as we know she's still alive which would mean she's still his mate right? No, she was never his mate. She wasn't a wolf and thus had no place in the pack. I know that wasn't the big revolting question in your mind though…

How could he choose a seven year old? If you're thinking it was a fatherly love that drove him to always wanting me with him, you'd be wrong. Wolves' love is a little more physical than emotional. Yes, the beast was and is to this day a pedophile. He saw a seven year old boy and dreamt of all the wicked things he would do to said boy. All the wicked things he did to me since my mother left. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame for leaving, but more often than I would like to admit a single thought pops into my head. _Why couldn't she just take me with her?_ Was I really that much of a threat? She managed to hold off the alpha of a werewolf pack, but she ran away from her seven year old son? She did both everything in her power to protect me, I mean my very name means 'may God protect', and leave me to the wolves, quite literally.

This is why I couldn't sleep. I lied there with my thoughts going a hundred miles per hour. _When I see him again, it's going to be him or me…_that one stuck. I knew that breaking away from the pack, betraying my alpha's orders wasn't going to end well, but I guess it just hit home in that moment. When I see Oliver Stone again, we will have a fight for dominance with only one survivor. I started to twist the ring on my finger. A little nervous habit I picked up through the years. Well Mom, I really hope this damn ring you gave me has a little magic, because I'm going to need all the help I could get…

The next day my pack was still joking around and laughing as Artemis rejoined us. They didn't seem to notice the goddess's return or the fact that I didn't join in the fun as full heartedly as yesterday. The hunters were, as always all but saluting the goddess. Electric blue caught the corner of my eye and as I turned toward the vibrant color, and was met with Thalia's head jerking away. I couldn't stop the smile on my lips. She was just so cute! Yes I said it, cute. She would probably kill me if she heard me call her cute. I don't know her all too well, not at all really, but she seems like the kind of girl that hates being underestimated. I would bet my dinner on her being tough enough to whoop most of the Moonstones' asses.

Another perk of being a werewolf, you learn not to discriminate against gender. To us it's all about your abilities. That's kind of why it was fine with everyone that their alpha chose a male mate. The fact they were okay with it, didn't mean they accepted it though. There were quite a few challenges for my position. At first the beast protected me against them, but that all stopped when I was about twelve. Guess that's when I lost my _'boyish charm'_. It seemed that the whole pack wanted to test my strength, to see if I was worthy of being the alpha's mate. I'm not really proud to say that I contributed largely to the high mortality rate but hey, it was either them or me.

We set off. It would be about another two days until we reached camp Half-Blood. Hopefully we just weren't too late. I only half listened to Alex go on about the new bow he wanted to make Jade, like she needed to be even more deadly. I had to smile at his enthusiasm. As sulky as he gets when he feels inferior to us, or rather when he feels he can't protect us, that's how upbeat he gets when he talks about giving us deadly weapons. I glanced forward to see Artemis looking at me. She nodded her head as a clear indication for me to join her. In a few long strides I was falling into step next to her.

"I am curious Jacob…" I scrunched my nose a bit at my full name. I really did prefer Jake. Jacob makes me sound like I'm Amish. "…who is your father?" she asked turning her full gaze on my while simply gliding over the terrain with a sort of elegance only a goddess could have.

"Um…" I knew this was coming. They saw me shadow travel after all. They had to know I wasn't simply a legacy of Apollo. "…he wasn't a god, that I can assure you my Lady." I tried with a winning smile. She didn't bite. _Dammit!_

"Oh I know, Jacob…" she said with an unimpressed face "…but your father wasn't mortal either, now was he?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Then a thought hit me. How did she know my mother was the child of Apollo and not my father?

"Something tells me you already know the answers to all your questions my Lady." I said with a raised eyebrow of my own.

"I just want to heart you admit it as a sort of conformation." She said with a smug little smile. I closed my eyes as the air in my lungs rushed out in a sigh.

"Fine…" there was no use trying to hide things from a goddess. If I didn't tell her she would probably read my mind for her 'conformation'. "…my father was a demigod as well and I am a legacy of another god as well." Just because I gave her conformation, didn't mean I needed to go into details.

"You still haven't told me who your father is." She said, her damn smile never faltering.

"With all due respect, my Lady, I will not acknowledge someone who has never acknowledged me. I have no father." I said and somewhere in my mind I thought, perhaps I wasn't harsh enough. He's a bastard who took advantage of my mom and then left her to find protection with the man who made my life a living hell for the last ten years.

"Yet you use his powers, thus honoring his abilities." She said, deadly serious this time.

"I simply chose to use all the cards dealt to me, my Lady." I said just as serious.

"I already know who he is Jacob." She said her face softening. "It's one of the upsides to being the goddess of childbirth." Cue small smile. "I can also tell you he never knew about you…"wait what? "…your mother never told him she was pregnant." No, no, no, no, no! He had to know! I can't hate the man if he didn't! "She didn't want him to stay with her if he did not truly love her. It was one of Aphrodite's most harsh games I've come to see." She said with a disgusted look.

"He didn't know…" was all I managed out of my mouth and even then it was barely a whisper.

"I offered her a place in the hunt, but she couldn't give you up. So I gave her a moonstone." I started twisting my ring. "The stone honors me and grants my protection to whoever possesses it. Do you know that a moonstone is crystalized moonlight? I believe it is one of my more beautiful creations." She looked off into the distance with a soft smile on her lips. Her head snapped back to me as if she forgot I was there. "Your mother did so much for you, but believe me when I say this, if your father had known about you, he would have done ten times more." She said completely somber.

It felt like the world was spinning under my feet. My heart was pounding almost painfully in my chest. My ears were ringing. I'm sure I completely paled because I felt no heat in my face. In the back of my mind a little voice told me I was pathetic. '_You try having your whole vision of the world smashed into tiny little shards'_ I mentally screamed at the little voice. Okay, maybe I was overreacting, but here this goddess was telling me that what I believed about my farther for as long as I could remember was false. It was a pretty big deal. Something inside of me felt almost hopeful now. We're going to camp Half-blood, where he'll be. Maybe I can meet him?

"My father is Nico di Angelo."


	10. Chapter 10

**So sorry that I didn't update in a while. I was having internet problems and before that I was really busy at work. Anyway, here's chapter 10. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Oh, and to ilikepercabeth123. I'm going to be a little mean and keep you guessing a little while longer, but I will give you a clue. Who is the only daughter of Apollo mentioned in the PJO series? Oh, and I just need to remind you that Artemis did tell Jake that it was one of Aphrodite's most cruel games. Do with that what you will...**

Thalia POV

We decided to rest in a familiar spot. I scanned the tree line and recalled that a little ways into the forest was a glittering waterfall surrounded by a red see of poppies. We set up camp and we spent a while sharpening our arrows and knifes. We had to be prepared for anything. We didn't know how far the '_Moonstone_'pack, as Jake called it, was and whether we might have a fight on our hands once we reach camp.

It had certainly been a long day. I saw Artemis talking to Jake while we walked and got curious. I kept close and could only hear bits. I got worried when I saw him pale completely and I really tried to listen only to hear him say six words that had my head spinning. 'My father is Nico di Angelo'. I was so shocked and fell. This time there was no hand to stop me though and I ate the dirt, hard! Neither Artemis nor Jake seemed to notice my stumble, _luckily,_ because they continued with a serious conversation judging by their somber faces. Snickers did rise from the rest of the hunters though.

The words still echoed through my head. That would explain the shadow traveling, but Nico was with Reyna. Was Reyna his mom? No, he said he was a legacy of Apollo, which means his mom has to be a daughter of Apollo. Wow, talk about combining light and darkness. Hold up, didn't Nico date Will Solace for quite some time? Yeah, that's right. There wasn't a girl in New Rome, it was Will. He went there to study medicine, but if Will was the child of Apollo…nah, they couldn't have a kid, could they?

These were the questions that raced through my mind as I made my way through the forest towards the waterfall. I really needed to get myself cleaned up. Did I mention that it was a long day? I was completely lost in my thoughts as I stepped closer to the pool and sat at the edge, deciding to wash my face first. As I looked down into the water I saw moonlight, but sadly no diamonds sparkled in the water this time. I splashed water on my face and the cold water woke me up. I started to look up and froze, scared to even breath.

There, under the waterfall, was a mop of midnight hair with long, skillful fingers running through it. My gaze fell down the slender neck, to where the water was hugging the muscular back and curve of his ass. I was back in my dream except one detail was off. It wasn't the smooth, flawless olive skin I expected that wrapped around those working muscles. It was still the tanned olive skin, but it was covered in scars. Bite marks, slashes and something that looked like words were carved into his otherwise beautiful skin. I was instantly mad at whoever did that to him. He slowly turned around and our eyes met. His eyes went wide before he abruptly fell down under the water with only his head bobbing around.

"Lieutenant." He said in a clipped voice and a nod. Maybe it was pure nerves, but I burst out laughing.

"I've just seen you naked Jake. I think you can call me Thalia." I said still snickering. He went red as a beet, no jokes, and I laughed even louder. I stopped mid laugh as he suddenly smiled all sweetly at me.

"Sorry I didn't _catch_ you today Thals." He said with his sweet smile growing into a full-blown cocky grin. It was my turn to go completely red. There was silence for a little while until he started opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it. "Could you maybe just like look away real quick?" he asked his cheeks turning pink slightly, which was difficult to see with his dark skin.

"Um…yeah…sure…" I said turning my head this way and that, flustered beyond belief, and finally decided to just completely turn around. I heard splashing and a quick rustling.

"Done, you can turn around now." He said in a low voice. I turned to see him in his usual jeans, combat boots and black V-neck t-shirt. I idly wondered what happens to his clothes when he morphs into a wolf before I took a look at his arms. They were covered in smooth, olive skin, all signs of any scars or carved words gone. I grabbed his arm and turned it over and over but it was just as smooth as it was in my dream.

"How did you do that?" I asked disbelieving, still searching up and down his arms. I even furthered my search into his neck only to find the bite marks missing as well. I even found a tattoo in my search for scars.

"Do what? What're you doing?" he asked in a panicked voice as if he didn't like being touched. Like father like son I guess.

"I saw scars all over you and now they're just gone!" I said, still unbelieving and maybe a little hysterical.

"Oh, that…" he said scratching the back of his neck.

"Yes, that you idiot!" I almost screeched. _Note to self, find Jake an embarrassing nickname._

"I didn't do anything."

"Bullshit!"

"No, really Thals, I didn't _do_ anything," he said in a calm voice taking one of my hands in both of his.

"Then how are they just gone?" I said my tone a lot softer. He took a deep breath and raised one of his hands to show me a ring.

"My mom gave me this ring before she left…"he said softly stepping closer as if he was telling me a secret, all the while holding my hand in his other hand "…I had some help from a son of Hecate, or Trivia actually, and put a glamour spell on it to hide the scars."

"Why would you hide scars?" I asked in barely a whisper.

"In my world, they show weakness. Would you want a battered and bruised leader? Would you trust someone who can't even protect themselves, to protect you?" he was getting closer. That's when I realized I had started leaning towards him during the conversation. I reached for the ring with my free hand and he jerked away from me with wild eyes.

"You can't hide your scars, Jake. Scars are the reminders of our past and hiding them is like hiding your past, like running away from it." I said gently lifting my hand to cup his cheek.

"I don't like reminders…" he whispered and there was so much sorrow in his eyes I was reminded of my first dream of him. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the midnight wolf that howled in my dreams. The beautiful sound that was so strong yet so filled with sorrow. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized that's his life story. He has to be strong for everyone else while he just wants to break down.

"Who are you Jake?" I said cupping his other cheek.

"What do you mean" he asked eyebrows furrowed.

"Please, tell me your story, starting with how you were taken by the werewolves." He sighed and pulled me down to sit in the sea of poppies.

"You want to hear my story?" he asked not meeting my eyes. I simply gave him a small nod. "It isn't a very happy story Thals, and it isn't the shortest of stories." He said still looking down at his lap.

"I don't care. I want to know." I wanted to know everything. How he came into this world. How he got those scars and who or what was causing him so much pain. I wanted him to be completely free. I wanted to be strong for him so for once he doesn't have to be the strong one. He let out a long sigh.

"Fine, but you asked me to. Just remember that"


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's chapter 11. I know that it's shorter than the rest but there is a lot of information for you to process. **

**Hope you guys enjoy it :) oh, and please review.**

Jake POV

I couldn't believe I found myself in this situation. All I could see was blood red and electric blue. Thalia's face was set and determined, but her eyes betrayed her. Those beautiful blue orbs showed me an array of emotions. They showed me sadness, anger and just a little fear. A sigh escaped me as I admitted defeat.

"Fine, but you asked me to. Just remember that" I said and she gave me a brisk nod before setting her face in a somber expression. I knew what she doing. I've been doing it my whole life. She was trying to be strong for me. Get me to open up.

"I guess I'll start with this. I was never taken by the Moonstones. I was hand delivered to them…" I paused to examine her reaction and saw her set mask waver just for a second. It broke my heart to think that this girl barely knows me and yet she already cares more for me than _my mate_ ever had or ever will. "…You don't have to do that Thals."

"Do what?" she asked furrowing her eyebrows, genuinely confused.

"You don't know me. You don't need to try and be strong on my behalf. I've gotten on okay without you so far, haven't I? I don't need you to save me." I said in a small voice, that couldn't possibly be mine, looking down at my lap. Somewhere deep down I wanted to break down in her arms, have her tell me everything will be alight, but I couldn't give in to that.

"I know I don't need to Jake…" she said in a low whisper "…I want to." That got my attention. My head snapped up and I was met electrifying eyes looking at me pleadingly. It was just too much. I felt a strange desire to please her, to give her everything she ever wanted. I felt my dam walls break and out flowed the truth.

"My mother, Kayla, always told me that my father left her when he found out she was pregnant. She went on to marry a man named Oliver Stone, telling me that he would protect us from all the monsters. I never thought he would be the worst monster of all…" I said with a dry laugh "…when I was seven years old the beast bit me into his pack. I was an experiment to see how half-bloods would react to being bitten. My mother fled for her own safety and gave me the ring." I twisted the ring on my finger.

Thalia was quiet through it all. Somehow she had taken hold of my hands in her own and shifted closer to me without me noticing. She was on her knees now, almost on my lap. My inner wolf was howling at me to pull her into me but as always I pushed all the beast had given me away, hid it from everyone, including the beast inside me.

"Four years after I was bitten, it was decided that I was a success and the pack started kidnapping half-bloods. The first was Sam. He was taken close to Camp Half-blood's borders after being lured out while on patrol..." I wanted to tell her about the beast, but just couldn't bring myself to say it. 'Oh hey, my stepfather raped me since I was seven' doesn't really roll off the tongue. "…every half-blood that was brought in had a choice to either be happy with their given rank or fight for a better one. We soon discovered how competitive and stubborn half-bloods are, hence the high mortality rate." She shifted even closer.

"That is what I knew and believed until today." Her eyebrows furrowed as I recalled my conversation with Artemis. "My father, Nico di Angelo, never knew about me and still doesn't. He was dating a son of Apollo, Will Solace, when my mother fell deeply in love with him. She knew he was gay and that there was only one way she could have her prince, she had to become a man. So she practiced her biokinesis powers, which is the ability to manipulate and modify one's anatomy, day and night. Finally when she was ready, she manipulated herself to look like her brother, Will, and have one night with the ghost king. Thus my father never knew he had spent a night with my mom or that he had a child with her." She simply stared at me blankly. In the back of my mind I heard a little voice tell me I broke her. Then she narrowed her eyes at me.

"What about your scars? How did you get them?"

"I've had twenty one challenges in the last five years. I didn't always walk away like a hero without a scratch. I actually crawled away from a few." She winced slightly at that but quickly recovered, clearly determined to be my rock. I suddenly realized how vulnerable I was in this girl's hands. I wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her, even if my mouth was the most dangerous thing about me.

Something was holding me back though. I wasn't free yet. Even if he wasn't my alpha anymore, the beast was still my mate and I couldn't get that out of my system. I still belonged to him. After everything I still felt loyal toward him and it sickened me to the pit of my stomach.

Was I really that pathetic?


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's chapter 12. The length is a bit better this time. My mom is gone for the next 2 weeks and I need to run the coffee shop all by myself, so that would be why I am not going to update that often for the next two weeks or so. Please be patient and I will be back in no time.**

**Hope you enjoy it and please review! :) **

Thalia POV

I knew he wasn't telling me everything, but oddly enough I was happy with it. I still didn't know how he got his scars because it's bullshit that he got all that through challenges, especially the words carved into his skin. That had to take some time and I don't think anyone would be able to get him still long enough to carve them in and then lose to him. They would at least win then, wouldn't they? Anyway, I didn't care that much. I had a feeling we would get there someday. Why did I feel so drawn to him? Even my vow to Artemis seemed to take the backseat as I shifted a little closer, leaned in a little more. I saw panic in his eyes even though his body was as relaxed as ever.

"What about you, sky princess?" he said clearing his throat.

"What?" was me oh so intelligent answer with furrowed eyebrows off course. He began to chuckle and I felt a shudder go through my spine. _Damn that sexy chuckle!_

"What's _your_ story Thals?" he asked as he fell back into the poppies and made himself comfortable. I guess he expected a long story. My stomach dropped. How could I not expect this? Off coarse he would ask for my story too.

"It isn't a very happy story Jake, and it isn't the shortest of stories either…" I said with a little smirk in the hope that repeating his own words to him would distract him just enough so we avoid talking about me. I still wanted to know so much about him. He pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Very funny, Thals. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to hear your story…" he said clearly not impressed "…I did tell you mine after all." _Here's my chance!_

"You didn't tell me the whole story though…" I said crossing my arms and raising my own eyebrow. I expected him to deny it, but no, he didn't even try.

"Make you deal…" he said sitting up a little straighter "…for every bit I tell you, I deserve to hear something of similar significance from you, deal?" he asked holding out his hand to shake mine. I took it and we shook once. Then something flashed through his eyes. It was like he was wrestling with something in his mind. Then his eyes seemed to clear and the next thing I knew I was diving into the ocean of poppies just to land on his hard chest.

"You may continue." He said closing his eyes and laying back.

"Well, you already know who daddy dearest is. Why else would you call me _sky princess_?" I said making sure my tone was oozing with my hatred of the reference. He opened his one eye with a smirk.

"Do you prefer just princess?" he asked barely keeping in his laughter. I took full advantage of being so close to his chest. I banged it with my fist, but he just seemed to want to laugh more.

"Anyway…" I said rolling my eyes "…mom was an actress. Zeus fell for her twice and I got a brother out of it. His name's Jason and he had a little girl with Piper…" I said trailing off.

"Let me guess…" Jake said sitting up on his elbows "…your brother was one of the seven and you really want to save his daughter." He said with pure understanding in his eyes. I only nodded as words escaped me. How did he know that? Am I simply easy to read?

"You must really miss them…" he said pulling my chin up with his finger "…with you being a hunter and all, you probably never see your friends and each time you do…" I was suddenly very aware of his lips so close to me "…they're older and has changed and you're still you. That must be really rough." He almost whispered.

How the Hades did this happen? I was supposed to be his rock, to comfort him, and yet I found myself fisting his t-shirt and burying my face in his neck. I felt wetness between our skin and realized that I was crying. He rapped me up in his strong arms and for the first time in my entire life, I felt completely safe.

"I'm right here, Thals…" he said and his deep voice had a certain calming effect "…I'll always be right here."

I couldn't control myself. _Screw_ my vow and Artemis. I leaned up and kissed him like my life depended on it. He went rigid and I panicked. Did I just screw everything up? Will he still be here for me now?

"What about the hunters? Your vow?" he whispered, eyes still wide.

"Maybe I want something the hunt can't give me…" I said stealing a glance at his perfect cherry red lips "…just like Jade did." I said in a whisper "I want you…no, I need you!" I said in a new voice I hardly recognized as desperate. Jake let out a long sigh.

"I'm going to Hades anyway…" he muttered before he placed his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me into him.

I've never felt anything like it! All I could think was that it would have been the perfect first kiss. _Why did I have to ruin it with my stupid impulses and have a very awkward first kiss ever memory?_ It felt as if his lips were made especially for me as it molded into my own. His tongue flicked over my lower lip and I gasped in surprise. He took advantage and deepened the kiss. Somewhere in the back of my head was a little voice, that sounded suspiciously like Annabeth, asking me why I was kissing this man's greatest weapon, but I didn't hear it over the rush of blood in my ears.

I didn't realize he flipped us over until he was hovering over me. He pinned my hands over my head and started to kiss down my neck. His lips left my skin burning wherever it touched. I felt his teeth slightly graze over my collarbone and I instantly wanted more. He on the other hand froze and I could feel his jaw tighten as if he was holding back. I suddenly realized how close he had been to biting me, but somehow the idea didn't seem that horrible anymore.

"Just give me a minute." He said with a tight voice and shaky breath and hands.

"Sure…" I breathed.

There was a little awkward silence until he looked up at me with fire burning in his eyes. it looked like there was a flaming river of molten silver flowing through those precious gems. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and I thought that I would be happy if that would be the last thing I saw before I die. He closed his eyes and his words rushed out as if it was now or never.

"I have a mate Thals." His voice was barely a whisper and I felt my heart shatter. How could he do this to me? He made me trust him and then turned on me just like Luke did. I pushed him off me with all my might and sprang up.

"You know, you're nothing but a _mutt_!" I spat at him and I saw him wince before I turned on my heel and sprinted back to camp with tears in my eyes…


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's chapter 13. Hope you guys enjoy and please, please, please review :)**

Jake POV

"You kissed her?" Alex hissed in my ear "Are you mad?" I rolled my eyes and just continued walking. We were actually making good time. We should have arrived at camp that afternoon, which suited us well, seeing that we could scope out the area before the seven arrived tomorrow with their kids. I heard Alex's raged breath become even more irregular like he was hyperventilating.

"Alex, calm down." I said in a calm whisper as I spun around. Did I mention we were walking with the hunters, just a few feet from the girl I kissed and the goddess she swore off men to? I could see it didn't come easy, but eventually, with Jade's help, he obeyed the command and his breathing was normal again.

"_She _is going to kill you." He whispered, voice still a little frantic, nodding his head towards Artemis.

"Only if she finds out…" I said raising a finger "…and judging by the fact that Thalia is still a hunter, I'm going to say she hasn't yet." I stole a glance at Thalia and my heart broke. She was in the back of the group, head down and hunched shoulders, every last bit of the strong warrior gone. Artemis glanced back too, worry evident on her face.

"We have better things to talk about anyway." I said as I turned my attention back to my pack.

"And what would that be?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When we reach camp, the beast isn't going to be so happy when he smells my scent. In fact, he's going to be pissed." I said as I set my gaze forward. "One, because then he'll know I've been disloyal to him, and two, because he'll know I'm not the only one."

"I think I know where you're going with this…" Sam said with a sigh. I turned to face him.

"When he finds us and things go bad, I want you to run. All of you." I said keeping my eyes on him as anger set in his eyes.

"I knew it." he said shaking his head. "What happened to being brothers, huh? I'm not going to leave you in the moment you need me most."

"You have to…" I said in the strongest voice I could "…that's an order Sam." We were stuck like that, frozen, almost glaring at each other.

"Jacob…" I think it was the first and probably the only time I would ever hear Artemis sound unsure "…are you boys alright?" I saw a tear run down Sam's cheek and I knew he was fighting, with everything inside him, against the order. I also knew that it was a losing battle.

"Perfect, my Lady." I said turning to face the goddess. "Shall we continue?" I said falling back into step with a glance back just to be sure my pack was following. What I saw was a 'to the teary brink of anger' Sam, a determined Jade, a nervous Mel fussing over Sam and a very somber looking Alex following suit.

The rest of the way to camp was in silence, which was just perfect. I kept thinking about last night, the feel of Thalia's lips, the way she tasted fresh like ozone. I also kept thinking what a monster I was last night. It was like the beast inside me was bent on torturing me. When I was kissing Thalia, everything felt so right, I felt safe, but the damn beast kept growling at me to stop, telling me what a worthless traitor I was. So what do I do? I confess to the one girl who might love me and have her see what an unfaithful stray I am. I _am_ a fucking mutt and I deserve everything that's coming my way.

Sam started to fidget as we came to a hill with a huge pine tree on the top of it. I saw Thalia look at the tree with a sad smile and I wondered what the deal with the tree was. I mean, apart from the fact that it was one of the biggest trees I've ever seen.

"Whoa, that's a big ass tree…" always leave it to Alex to say the one thing everyone's thinking, or at least what I'm thinking.

"Well, it had to accommodate Thalia's big ego…" one of the hunters said and they all started to crack up. Wait, what?

"Very funny, Kelly." Thalia said rolling her eyes and I suddenly realized her usual shockingly vibrant eyes were bloodshot. Did she cry? Why did she cry? Was it because of me? _Damn you Jacob Tyler! How dare you make this beautiful girl cry?_'

"We are here." Rang Artemis's voice and she turned to me. "I must go speak with Chiron so he might grant the five of you permission to enter camp, on the condition that you will be on your best behavior off course." She said in a clipped tone and with a raised eyebrow.

"I swear on the river Styx that we will be on our best behavior within the camp, if allowed, my Lady." I said with a little nod. As thunder boomed across the sky, she turned and started up the hill towards the tree. Seriously, what was with that damn tree? About thirty feet from the tree I, along with my pack and Artemis stopped dead.

"They're already here." My voice was barely a whisper as the beast's face flashed in front of me. Realization hit me. The next time I see that face, one of us is going to die. That might be tomorrow, if I'm lucky, or today, if I'm not and I'm usually not.

"How fresh?" Artemis was right beside me.

"This morning." I said still frozen in place.

"I will go clear things with Chiron. You patrol until I come fetch you." Artemis said before she turned and hurried towards the tree and over the hill.

"Aren't we the ones who should do the fetching?" Alex asked with a weak chuckle. Why does he always have the urge to joke around when he's freaked?

I gave him a pointed look and we set off. The freshest scent and tracks we found around camp was from earlier this afternoon, but that wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me was that at some places it led right up to the border, like the pack was trying to find a weak spot to get in. When we doubled back to the tree we found Artemis waiting for us with a horse-man hybrid I assumed to be Chiron.

"So you are the young wolves who wish to enter camp." he said very formally as we trotted up and morphed back into humans. His eyes landed on Sam, who was looking a shy. Kind of like the long lost ten year old. In all honesty, I was a bit shocked that he could still look like that.

"I never thought I would see you again, dear Sam." He said with a warm smile. "Just look how you've grown." An undeniable look of pride was on his face. I cleared my throat.

"To answer your question, sir." I said trying to step into Chiron's field of vision. "We _are_ the wolves who wish to enter camp and as soon as possible if you don't mind. Our former pack is very close and we would rather not run in to them today." I said as respectfully as I can.

"Very well, you are invited to stay within the camp borders." With that he turned and trotted over the hill. We followed and as we stepped past the tree I felt a little resistance but once I pushed through, camp Half-blood lied at my feet. Sam was all smiles. I guess he was happy to finally be home. He took Mel's hand and raced down the hill.

"You may explore or relax. We all have a long day tomorrow." Artemis said, and I slightly jerked away as I felt a hand on my shoulder. A look of concern flashed through her face before she gave me a sad smile and left. I started to wander around until I found a lake and a familiar figure sitting on the deck. I swallowed and plopped myself next to her.

"Can you at least let me explain?" I asked Thalia in a soft voice.

"Fine." She huffed. "Explain." She kept her eyes fixed on the water.

"I don't love him. Never have and never will…" she looked at me curiously.

"Him?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, there's also the fact that I'm not gay…"

"Then why is your _mate_ a man?" she asked with venom in her voice.

"Well, _he_ was gay, and he just…" I was struggling to find the right words, if there were any. "…took me, so I'm stuck with him until one of us dies. It's a wolf thing." I said, refusing to meet the eyes burning into me.

"You were raped?" she asked in a whisper.

"In my defense, I was only seven. I didn't really have enough strength to fight back." I said rubbing the back of my neck. She held her hand over her mouth and her eyes started to glisten with tears. "Well, you owe me a bit of your story now." I said trying to smile but it turned out as a grimace. A weak chuckle spilled out of her lips as she curled up to me.

"We have time…" she said looking up at me with those beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry I called you a mutt…"

"It's fine…" I said hesitating for a second before slipping off my ring and pulling back my collar to show her the letters that mar my skin. "…you weren't the first." I said in a whisper.

She placed her hand over the letters as she tilted her head up and captured my lips in a kiss. I pulled her into my lap and relished in the feeling of her close to me again. Off course the moment just had to be ruined by a howl. Not a majestic howl, or a howl of pain, but a furious howl. We froze as the all too familiar voice chilled the blood in my veins.

"He knows we're here."


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry it took a little longer than usual, but my mom's back on Tuesday, so then it will get better again.**

**Here's chapter 14. Hope you guys enjoy! :)**

Thalia POV

So there I was sitting in Jake's lap, post kiss, head against his chest and his chin on my head, listening to his heart beating just slightly faster than normal. Why did I kiss him? The thought of him dying on me, made me think that you only live once right? Well, unless you chose to be reborn. I stole a glance up at his face. He had his eyes closed as he just held me. He looked almost content as a sigh escaped him. What if he _did_ die when he meets his old alpha, which I can safely assume is also his stepfather, Oliver Stone? Suddenly I was back in my conversation of last night…

-Flashback-

I ran back to my tent. How could I be so stupid? If Artemis found out I broke my vow, she'll be furious. Not to mention that I broke it just to be hurt all over again. When I got to my tent, the last deity I would like to face was sitting on my bed and I was standing there with tears running down my cheeks. What's up with that anyway? I'm Thalia, I don't cry.

"M-My Lady, what a surprise…" I stuttered while trying to rub away the tears with the heel of my hand, emphasis on the _trying._

"Thalia…" she took my hands and led me to sit on my bed "…we need to talk. You have a choice to make, which I would like to help you make." she said in a much softer tone than I was expecting or even used to. "I know you kissed Jacob tonight…" I swallowed hard "…I also know he kissed you, but I want to talk about what you don't know yet." I furrowed my eyebrows "Oh, don't look at me like that. Am I happy that you broke your oath? No. I did, however, expect it. Your heart hasn't been in the hunt lately. You don't want to be here anymore." She said with a soft smile.

"Anyway, do you know what will happen when Jacob meets his old pack?" she asked with a serious tone.

"No, my Lady" I said and I really didn't.

"Jacob will need to fight for his and his pack's lives. Their former alpha is not going to be happy about them breaking away and he will see this as a challenge for dominance. Which means that Jacob will have to fight him to the death…" her tone was businesslike, but her eyes were full of sadness. She must have cared for Jacob if she would be sad about him going into a challenge to the death…_wait, what?_ I suddenly registered her words. He was going to kill the beast or _be_ killed by the beast. My breath became very raged and Artemis's hold on my hands got a bit tighter.

"The choice you have to make is whether or not to stay in the hunt, but I want you to make your choice after this is all over. Just in case…" she drifted off as she stood up. Just in case of what? He _dies_? She left me alone with that and my hyperventilating. I didn't sleep at all…

-End of flashback-

I was back in his lap and I knew my choice have already been made. I was going to leave the hunt. A howl ripped through the still of night and I heard his heartbeat pick up pace. The howl was nothing like Jake's majestic howl in my dreams. No, it terrified me to my core. It sent shivers down my spine and my blood suddenly felt like ice running through my veins. His eyes shot open and he set me down next to him ever so gently before he sprang up and almost ran towards my tree.

"Jake!" I called after him as my mind was swimming with 'No, not yet' and 'You can't take him from me'. I saw Sam by his side in what seemed to be a second and Jade wasn't far behind. He raced to the camp borders and it seemed like the whole camp was following him there. When we reached my tree, there was a very livid looking man with dark, curly hair, pitch black eyes and russet skin. He looked like a Spaniard. He was also tall, only about an inch shorter than Jake. I would have been shaking in my combat boots if Jake didn't look equally, if not more, pissed off.

"You couldn't give me one fucking night in peace?" Jake bellowed in a strong voice that reminded me so much of his howl in my dreams.

"Don't give me that tone, pup!" the man growled, literally, back. "You're going to die tonight you treacherous mutt!" I saw Jake flinch slightly at 'mutt' and a sick smile broke across the man's face. "Does the word _mutt_ bother you?" he asked in mock concern. "Maybe I should use one of your other names. Let's see…" the man scratched his chin and Jake paled "…what about _bitch_? Or maybe _stray._ What would you prefer _mate_?" the man said with a cruel smile.

This was his mate? Something like a growl escaped my lips, which earned a concerned look from Jade. I didn't know what was coming over me, but I felt the urge to rip this monster apart and claim Jake for myself. _Whoa, maybe I've been spending too much time with the wolves. _I knocked an arrow, already imagining how it would look embedded in his chest, or head, or…I felt a hand one mine and saw Sam take my arrow. I wanted to object, but he shook his head slowly.

"He needs to face his demons, alone." He whispered with a very somber expression. That's when it all snapped into place. This _man_ was the beast. He was Jake's former alpha, his stepfather, his lover…he was the one who caused all Jake's pain. I wanted even more to kill the beast, but Sam held me back and he had a damn tight grip. All I could do was watch. Jake regained his composure and stepped over the magical barrier. Sam's hand clasped over my mouth just as I was about to scream at Jake to stay in camp. It didn't seem right. I wanted to help Jake in any way I could.

"I'm not your _pup, _nor am I your _bitch_ for that matter…" his voice never even wavered as he walked up to the beast. "…not anymore at least." He came to a stop right in front of the beast, who was glowering at him.

"Are you challenging me?" the beast said threateningly.

"You have a nose, you tell me." Jake said in with a smirk. A shadow fell over the beast's face and I felt the blood rush out of my face. My mind was filled with scenarios of him killing Jake and my breathing hitched. How was I so worried about a guy I just met? Sam started to hum into my ear and I tore my fingernails out of his arm, which I didn't even realize I was digging them into. Calmness flowed through my body and I wondered if that was some kind of Apollo kid thing.

There was a tense moment where the beast tried to stare Jake down. I say try, because there was no way in Hades that Jake was backing down. His jaw was set, his stance was wide and strong and he had his arms rapped securely over his chest. He certainly looked like an alpha to me. I felt a sense of pride wash over me just before all Hades broke lose…


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's chapter 15. Hope you guys enjoy. Please, please, please review and I'll post again soon! :)**

Jake POV

I was feeling pretty smug with myself. I wasn't taking any of his crap anymore and it was a rush. That was my last thought before I found myself being pushed to the ground with huge, sharp teeth snapping at my throat. I could hear a girl scream somewhere behind me, but somehow I was more focused on the teeth with saliva dripping from them. I felt my back hit the ground and I brought up my legs, vaulting the beast off me and into the magical barrier. I just had time to morph into a wolf before he rammed into me again.

Then it registered that this was the fight I've been dreading the last couple of days and I kind of freaked. Off coarse my opponent took advantage of my distracted state and I felt his claws rip at my side. A cry of pain escaped me and I instantly regretted it when I saw the sick, blood covered smirk he was giving me. I had to focus. This is just like all my other challenges, except that I'm the challenger this time. It's wasn't going to affect the outcome though.

He charged again and this time I side stepped. He was caught off guard and I slammed him into a tree before I took a chunk out of his shoulder. A howl of agony clawed its way out of him and it was the best noise that has ever escaped him. He regained his balance quick though and started circling me, as I did him. I felt a little pride in him already limping a bit. I steeled myself and gave full control over to the beast within. There was going to be only one alpha and it sure as Hades wasn't going to be him.

He lunged and I dodged. I lunged and he dodged. We were caught in a dance around each other with a chorus of growls and clashing teeth, lost in a blur of dark fur. Once and a while, one of us would lose focus just for a fraction of a second and that would result in another missing chunk or a broken bone. It felt like hours before I finally found an opening. After a particularly hard blow, that definitely broke a few of my ribs, he lunged forward recklessly clearly thinking it would be the last blow. I dodged and sank my teeth into his neck, around his throat. I locked my jaw and ignored his thrashing and desperate attempts of getting me off him.

It was all over when he finally became still and morphed back into his human form with glassy eyes. I sat back as I morphed back too and I was swallowed by silence. I looked down at the man who terrified me most of my life and a single thought came to mind. _What now?_ I felt a hand on my shoulder and as I looked up, I was met with Sam giving me a soft smile.

"Let's get you cleaned up." He said as he started to lead me away, but there was something I needed to do first. My head was spinning with thoughts that weren't my own and I knew the rest of the pack was here. I stopped and turned in their direction.

"Come out and face your new alpha." I said in a strong voice, even if it was a bit raspy. There were wolves popping out everywhere, morphing back into humans. I turned to face Artemis.

"Congratulations on your victory Jacob. You are truly a fine fighter, also thank you for leading us to the rest of the wolves. You and your pack are free to go." She said with a small smile.

"But this is my pack, my Lady…" she furrowed her eyebrows before realization washed over her. "…our arrangement was that you leave me and my pack in peace after this is all over."

"Very well. Go, go on your way and I do hope that our paths don't cross again." She said in a clipped tone.

"Oh, but this is far from over, my Lady." I said feeling a bit lightheaded. Sam must have sensed it because he grabbed a hold of me just before my knees buckled.

"It's been a long day, my Lady…" he said shifting me slightly to take more of my weight and frankly, I was grateful for it. "…may we rest and talk about it in the morning? I need to check Jake's injuries." I saw her nod stiffly, turn around and head back to camp. Somehow I didn't think we would be welcome in the camp anymore, so we made our way back to the wolves' camp with the others.

It was definitely strange to see the pack again, especially since none of them was sneering at me or making cruel jokes on my behalf. They all seemed so caring towards me and it seemed wrong somehow. I guess they can't bully their alpha. They led me to the alpha tent and I nearly gagged on the scent of the beast. Sam set up our old tent, the one we used before he and Mel started to share her tent, and he laid me down inside.

He had to set my arm, pop my shoulder back in and dress all the open wounds. He couldn't really do much for the broken ribs but luckily werewolves heal faster than others. I should have been healed in a week or two. He muttered something about how he really needed nectar. That's the last thing I remember before darkness swallowed me and pain escaped me. When I woke up again the tent was still bathed in darkness. It must have still been dark outside as well. I was met with electric blue eyes and I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face.

"Hey princess." I said in a very raspy voice and a smirk that probably looked more like a grimace. She started laughing though, so I must have done something right, right?

"Hey…" she said bending down and grazing her fingertips along my jaw "…I need to tell you something." She whispered as she bent down even further to my ear. "I left the hunt…" I couldn't process her words for a second. I was frozen. _She left the hunt. _

"Why?" I spoke the only word that came to mind in a soft voice.

"I wanted something else, someone else…" she said with a shy little smile. A chuckle escaped me and she furrowed her eyebrows, like she thought I finally lost it.

"I guess we're both free now…" I said reaching up to stroke her cheek.

"I guess so…" she said with a soft smile.

I reached my hand around her neck and pulled her down to me. When our lips met, it was like no other kiss before. Something was so very different, but it was an addicting kind of different. It was like we both knew that this kiss was leading somewhere. There were no more restrictions and I was going to take full advantage of that. My hand slid down to the small of her back and I pulled her closer, right into my bed actually. I could hear her breath hitch and the sound was intoxicating. My tongue flicked across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth. I deepened the kiss as her fingers tangled into my hair. Her heartbeat was driving me crazy.

I flipped us over and I felt her deft little hands travel to the hem of my shirt. She started to lift it but patience was never one of my virtues. I sat up, pulled it over my head and got right back down to devour her mouth. I could already feel something waking up below my belt. My ragged breathing was torture on my ribs, but I ignored it as my hand slipped under her shirt and she pulled me closer.

She was finally going to be mine…


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's chapter 16 for you guys. Hope you enjoy it. **

**I drew a picture of Mel, but the colors didn't scan in so well, so that was a bust.**

**PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW :)**

Thalia POV

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was a well-defined, muscle covered chest wrapped in smooth olive skin, flecked with gold. My gaze trailed up a slender neck to find the masterpiece of Jake's sleeping face. He seemed so much younger in his peaceful slumber. For the first time since I've met him, he actually seemed seventeen. My gaze fell back down to his chest and then his ribs. I was surprised to see perfect skin stretching over it. I knew I heard his ribs breaking yesterday. How was his chest and ribs not even bruised? He was covered in bandages but even that seemed unnecessary. Then I saw his ring on his finger. _Wow, does he ever take it off?_

I crawled as close to him as possible, absorbing his heat. I just couldn't believe that last night happened. What does that make me, his mate? My reverie was interrupted by a groan. I spun my head back up and saw Jake wince.

"What's wrong?" I asked as he tried to suppress another groan.

"Ribs…" he croaked and I realized I was leaning on his chest. I quickly sat up so I wasn't touching him anywhere. That's when I realized he wasn't the only bare chested one in the bed. I pulled the covers up to make myself decent and he started to actually chuckle.

"What's so funny, Jacob?" I hissed with my best glare, which seemed to make him chuckle even more.

"I just saw you naked, Thals. I think you can call me Jake…" he said with a wink and a smirk.

"Ha-ha. Well at least we're even now…" I said with a huff "…and you did more than see me naked." I said and started to stand up, but he just pulled me back down with a wicked grin.

"I look forward to doing it again…" he whispered into my ear and a shiver ran down my spine. I laid back down careful not to hurt him again. I supported myself on my elbows so I hovered above him slightly.

"Does this make us…" I bit my lip as I suddenly felt shy "…mates?"

"Well, not exactly." I furrowed my eyebrows at him. What did he mean 'not exactly'? What do you have to do to become mates? Have a fucking wedding or something? "Calm down, it's only because you're not a wolf. If you were a wolf, we would have been mates the moment I kissed you." He explained in a calm voice, running his fingers through my hair. I suddenly noticed something in his hair.

"Why are there feathers in your hair?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I didn't want to bite you, so a pillow had to die." He said with a straight face. We both cracked up laughing a second after it left his mouth.

"So if you did bite me, I would have been your mate right now…" I said flopping back onto my back.

"Where are you going with this?" he asked sitting up on one elbow, maybe because the other one was broken.

"Why don't you want to bite me?" I asked in a whisper. He was thoughtful for a while before he looked me in the eyes with all seriousness.

"I need to be sure Thals. I'm not just going to bite you in on a whim." He said stroking my cheek. "I want you to enjoy your freedom while you can. If I could escape this life, I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't want to rush and have you hate me for it if it's not what you want." I felt tears pricking at my eyes.

"So, what does that make us?" I whispered as he wiped a tear from my cheek.

"I'm yours, Thals. You can have me for as long as you want." he said with a small smile. "The pack won't accept you as my mate, but to me, you are." He bent down and kissed me. It was a sweet, tender kiss filled with emotion. The moment was broken by Sam barging into the tent.

"Hey Ja…" he froze in his steps as he saw us "…sorry for the intrusion, but I…um…need to dress your wounds again, alpha." He said staring down at his feet and rubbing the back of his neck. Jake cleared his throat.

"Give me a minute Sam." He said a little stiffly. Sam started to fumble about and finally made his way out of the tent. We stayed like that for a moment before we burst out laughing.

"What do you say to getting dressed, princess?" he asked with a smirk. My response was a bout of laughter and a light slap on the arm that wasn't broken. We got dressed and headed outside hand in hand. We were met by a fidgeting Sam, a smiling Mel and shocked Jade and Alex. Jake and Sam headed off back to the tent, which meant I was left alone with the others. He literally threw me to the wolves and I was going to kill him. I turned back to Mel, Jade and Alex and was met with a lot more curious faces than expected. Mel practically ignored them and pulled me to sit by the fire, pushing a bowl of what looked like stew into my hands.

"So, you left the hunters?" she asked with raised eyebrows and still bright smile.

"Um…yeah…" the stares from the rest of the pack was unnerving. Mel apparently noticed my discomfort, because she simply waved them off, telling them to leave us be. I guess her close relationship with the new alpha gave her a nice little spot in the hierarchy.

"Don't worry about that." She said nodding her head in the direction of a couple of girls glaring at me. "They're just jealous. They thought they might have a chance at him now that he doesn't have a mate, that's all. You're a threat to them, but you still hold the favor of the alpha, so they can't touch you." She said with a wink. I felt the heat raise up into my cheeks.

"Anyway, why did you leave?" Jade asked as she sat down on my other side.

"I wanted something else." I said with a shrug.

"I see…" she said looking at me like she was analyzing me. "…so when is he going to bite you into the pack?"

"I…don't know. He wants to be sure…" I said looking down at the bowl in my lap.

"So you left the hunters for the guy and he's still not sure?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Seems like I'm going to have a little talk with Jacob." I rolled my eyes at her.

"What time is it anyway?" I asked in a slight panic. Artemis sent me to bring the wolves to camp to talk about the 'this is far from over' around noon.

"About ten…" I sighed in relief. _We still had time._ "…why?"

"Jake needs to be back at camp at noon. Artemis wants a word with him." I said taking in a spoonful of the mush that tasted pretty good actually.

"And why are you still carrying messages for Artemis if you're not a hunter anymore?" Alex asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"She knew I was going his way anyway, so why not send a message?" I said with a shrug.

"Fair enough." He said as he turned and walked away. Jade sighed and followed her mate.

"Just give him time." Mel said with a small smile. "When he finally accepts you, he will be one of your most loyal friends…" she said staring off after Alex and Jade. "…just you wait till you're bitten in."

"Why are you so sure I'll be bitten in?" I asked the Asian and she looked at me with amusement.

"Some things you just can't explain…" she said with a wink and left in the direction of Alex and Jade. So I sat there alone, eating my stew, until Jake came back and we started making our way back to camp together.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey everyone. First of all, let me just apologize for not updating for a week, but in my defense I need to tell you that I was in the hospital and couldn't write for a while. Second of all, I'm really proud of this chapter. I really tried to do my research, which I normally hate to do.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 17. Hope you enjoy it and please review and tell me what you think. I love getting reviews from you guys. It fuels me to write and gives me inspiration. :)**

Jake POV

I watched as the green light of the forest danced across Thalia's eyes, giving them a whole new look and a slight sea green tinge. I was utterly mystified by the beauty of it. She noticed me staring at her and I saw her cheeks turning a light shade of red that almost looked pink. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the thought that she was mine. I was over the moon, I felt like I could fly.

"So what should I expect from Artemis for stealing her wonderful lieutenant away?" I asked playfully, breaking the silence which was filled only by the sound of Thalia's and my footfalls. She started laughing, and I felt like fist pumping with a '_mission accomplished'_, but I held it back. Instead I just laced my fingers through hers and kept walking.

"I think you have to worry more about what she'll do to you for tricking her into leaving all the wolves in peace…" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, it's the way of the wolf, okay? We protect our own." I said with a shrug. She pulled on my hand and turned me towards her and I was met with those vibrant eyes that always looked wide awake.

"It's one of the things I like most about you." She said in a soft voice. "You always take care of everyone, don't you?"

"We have time right?" I asked, hooking a finger under her chin and lifting it toward me. "You'll figure it out." I whispered before I placed a soft little kiss on her lips. We started walking again, hand in hand.

"Okay, so there are a few questions I've been meaning to ask you…" she said looking up at me.

"Shoot." I said drawing circles on the back of her hand with my thumb.

"Your clothes, it never seems to get dirty and it doesn't shred off when you go full wolf…" she started looking very thoughtful. I raised my eyebrow at her as the silent question of '_yeah?_' "…my question is this. How does it do that?" she asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"Not quite sure really." I answered. "All I know is this. We have a daughter of Aphrodite and a son of Trivia who combined powers to enchant the entire pack's clothes. They turned it into a kind of biological material that morphs into our bodies when we _'go full wolf'_." I said with air quotes and a little smirk.

"Same goes for our armor and weapons. Alex asked them to help him make it. So now, because it's linked to our bodies and thus our minds, all we have to do is think of what we need and it kind of just grows out of us." Her eyes went wider and wider with every word. I kind of wanted to summon my hunting knife out of my forearm just to completely freak her out, but also thought it was too mean. "Oh, and yeah, they also enchanted it to never get dirty, or clean itself at least, which I think is absolutely insane." I said with a grin and she rolled her eyes at me with that cute little chuckle of hers.

"Next question…" she said with her face suddenly set in that thoughtful look again. "…do you want to meet Nico?"

"Well, yeah…" I said starting to fidget and play with her fingers. "…I kind of do, but I also kind of don't.

"Why?" she asked as she pulled me to a stop again.

"He doesn't even know about me. What am I going to tell him? '_Hey, you don't know me but you had sex with your boyfriend, which was actually his sister and my mother, about eighteen years ago. So here I am, daddy._'?" I asked. I felt a knot in my stomach. All these years I never had a father that really loved me like a father should, took care of me as a father should. Now Artemis's words had me thinking that I might finally get exactly that, '_If your father had known about you, he would have done ten times more._', but could I really disrupt his life with his wife and other kids for a selfish desire like '_I want a daddy too_'?

"Well…" she said with a small smile. "…maybe not so direct, but that would kind of be the just of it. Nico needs to know too. You and him have much more in common than you think."

"It's starting to annoy me that you know my father better than I do." I said with a sigh and she started to chuckle. We started to walk again.

"Just know that whatever you chose to do, I'll be there with you." She said giving my hand a little squeeze.

"Now whose taking care of everyone?" I asked with a smirk and she swatted my arm playfully. We reached the camp borders and were faced with the enormous tree again.

"You have to tell me the story behind this tree." I said looking over at Thalia. She opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by someone clearing their throat. I looked up to see Chiron and Artemis next to the tree.

"I grant you permission to enter the camp to converse with Lady Artemis, Jacob." Chiron said. Why was he always so formal around me? Sam has told me stories about how loving the centaur was when he was still back at camp and I got a glimpse of that when they met again yesterday.

"Thank you, Chiron." I said before both he and Artemis turned back toward camp and Thalia and I followed. We followed them to a big farmhouse with a wraparound porch. On our way, we got more than a few curious glances from the campers and I felt like a circus animal on display for everyone's entertainment.

All I wanted to do was dive into the shadows and run away. I wasn't meant to be in the spotlight, never have and never will. Maybe it's a 'child of the Underworld' thing, but I always felt much more comfortable in the background, letting others take all the attention. It's what kept me alive too. I thought about how many recruits ended up dead because of _'accidental'_ challenges, when they got too cocky and their mouths ran faster than their minds.

We were led inside the house to a room that looked like a game room. There was a Ping-Pong table, surrounded by chairs and a Ms. Packman game machine in the corner. The lights were blinking and the old, metallic beeping of the game filled the room. The table didn't look like it has ever been used for a game of Ping-Pong though. There were marks on the surface that looked like someone stabbed the table with a knife repeatedly. A decent sized knife too, judging by the size of the marks. There were also a lot of round stains and scuff marks which showed that people put their feet up on the table quite a lot.

"So, Jacob…" Artemis said taking a seat in one of the chairs and Thalia pulled me to sit in another next to her. "…what did you mean by 'this is far from over'?" she asked in her most clipped and businesslike tone yet.

"Exactly that, my Lady." I said sparing a glance at Thalia to gather some strength. "By becoming alpha of my pack, I only succeeded in turning one group of the army against you, to your side. But it is still building it's army. It is still coming for the gods and all demigods."

"What is 'it'?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"The real enemy of Olympus. I know you know about the army, my Lady, but you don't know who the mastermind behind it all is." I said as Artemis sat forward a bit.

"How do you know so much?" she asked with a calculating stare.

"I have a decade's worth of information from the inside, my Lady. It knows exactly what you know. It will not rest until it rights it's wrongs. That is why it is coming for the gods. It wants to eliminate the beings that ruined it's creation and earned it's banishment so it may rejoin it's mother." I said and she furrowed her eyebrows. I could hear Thalia's heartbeat pick up pace too.

"What is 'it', though? You haven't answered me that." She said with a tone of anger in her voice.

"We never speak it's name, my Lady, for as you know, names have power." That seemed to annoy her even more.

"You are in the presence of a goddess, boy. You have protection." She huffed.

"With all due respect, my Lady…" I said steeling myself to hide my own fear. "…not against a primordial." Thalia's hand clasped down on my own "But I can tell you this, my Lady. Recall the knowledge of how the earth came to be." I said in a hope that she can figure it out.

"The great architect created it, right?" Thalia asked as her breathing became a little ragged. "Don't tell me, we're going up against…" she bit her lip as she looked at Artemis.

"…Chaos?" Artemis finished for her. I sighed in frustration.

"No. Chaos created a deity and entrusted said deity to create the earth, but when Chaos saw the earth, she saw it as a failure and banished her creation to the depths of the Underworld, never to return home." I said looking down at the ground.

"The creation is what we're up against. It is the one building an army in the hopes of redeeming itself." I said looking at Artemis, silently pleading her to understand what I am saying. The goddess suddenly paled and I knew she figured it out. She looked out the window and one little word came from her lips and it felt like the word could echo through the earth and shatter everything precious and good and pure.

"Demogorgan…" she whispered.


	18. Chapter 18

Thalia POV

"Demo…" I started with confusion. I've never heard of the Demogorgan and I have no idea what it is.

"Don't say its name Thalia." Artemis cut me off with a stern look. "Not even the camp borders could keep you safe against it. Now, I must return to Olympus to warn the rest of the gods. Chiron, you are to escort the wolves into camp." Wow. I was shocked at that and even more confused when Artemis gave Jake a small smile and a look of what I thought, although I'm not that good with looks or people for that matter, was appreciation.

"If they are willing to defy the demon for us, they hold us no threat and we should try to protect our allies as well we can." And with that she started to shimmer and we turned away as she flashed out. That left me alone with a very somber looking Jake and a wide eyed Chiron in his wheelchair. I just had time to think that if Chiron was shocked by the news it must be really bad before Jake stood up and started walking out. Chiron wheeled after him and I was frozen in my seat for a moment before I hurried after them as well.

"Okay, so what exactly is this '_demon_'?" I asked once I caught up to Jake, who was making his way to my tree in record pace. He simply glanced at me and continued on his way.

"Stay in the camp until we come back." He said after a moment without ever looking at me again. I froze mid-step. How dare he order me around?

"Why should I?" I asked, my voice ringing out clearly. He spun around and gave me a dark look. It was intensified by the shadows that started to gather around him. I would have been scared if I hadn't received that exact same look from Nico so many times. They really did have more in common than he thought.

"You don't scare me, Jake." I said simply, crossing my arms over my chest and starting to tap my foot, which was probably a little over the top looking back on it. "Now tell me why I should obey and stay like a pathetic dog, because last time I checked you didn't bite me into the pack and I have no alpha. So why should I obey you?"

He turned away from me with a groan, running his hands through his hair. I could see his shoulders rising as he took a deep breath. When he turned around he looked like the dead. He looked so tired that he aged about twenty years. Then I remembered that he had barely slept after the fight yesterday and then I felt a little guilty because I was the reason he didn't get much sleep. He walked toward me and palmed both me cheeks, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

"Thalia, I'm begging you to stay in the camp. Not because I want to dictate you, or command you, but because all I want to do is keep you safe and I'm not sure I can outside that borders. It will be coming soon and I won't be able to protect you." he said looking a bit teary.

"I love you, Thals." He whispered as he laid his forehead on mine. He gave me a short, sweet kiss before he turned and set off for my tree again with Chiron in tow, who lost the wheelchair at some point._ He loves me._ He loves me? I stood there staring after him, wide eyed, open mouthed, for I don't know how long, before I was brought crashing back to the world by a pale hand on my shoulder.

"Thals, are you okay?" I turned to face the voice and the first thing I thought was that I miss the diamond eyes and tanned skin.

Nico was staring at me with those almost black eyes that looked so dead in his earlier life. I never thought I would see a sparkle in them until the day the twins were born. I suddenly felt bad for him that he had to wait that long to find happiness, and then I thought how he would have found it two years earlier if he had known about Jake. Then I felt like I had to tell him but I knew Jake had to be the one to. I was so lost in thought, I never realized that I had started hyperventilating until I started seeing stars.

"Let's get you to Annabeth." He said catching me as my knees started to buckle and basically carrying me away before everything went black.

"Would you give her some space?" I heard the oh so familiar voice of Annabeth huff as I woke up.

"She's my sister, I have a right to stay. Why don't you give her some space?" I heard Jase angrily whisper back. If they only knew there was another person that had more right than both of them right now. I started chuckling as I opened my eyes and I was met with two sets of wide eyes.

"I feel so loved…" I said in a groggy voice.

"Thals…" Jase began softly as he started leaning forward, but was soon interrupted by a certain daughter of Athena.

"What in the name of Zeus happened?" she asked with her famed 'tell me or I'll skewer you with my dagger' look.

"Nothing…" I tried to wave it off. Her hand jerked toward the hilt of her dagger. The dagger Kelp Head gave her as a wedding present after the first one got lost in Tartarus. It was really beautiful, I have to give Perce that much. The blade was celestial bronze infused with silver. Across the flat of the blade 'αγάπη του ωκεανού' was engraved, which means 'love of the ocean'. The handle was wrapped in a cream colored leather and a green pearl the size of a golf ball was studded into the hilt.

"Okay, fine." I raised my arms in surrender. "I just kind of freaked when Jake told me he loved me." They looked at each other and then back at me with curious eyes. The moment Jase went a little red from what I believe was anger was the moment I realized they don't know who Jake is. Uh oh.

"Who the fuck is Jake? You're fifteen and a hunter, you shouldn't even be talking to boys!" he exploded. See what I meant by his daughter might as well join the hunters now?

"Well, I'm actually sixteen now…" I said in a small voice as I refused to make eye contact.

"Excuse me?" his voice was dangerously low.

"I left the hunters yesterday, so technically I am physically sixteen today." I said biting my lip and looking up at my baby brother for the first time. He was pinching the bridge of his nose while breathing very deeply. All clear signs of frustration.

That's when we heard commotion outside and shouts of 'you can't go in there'. A second later my favorite mop of midnight hair broke through the door and rushed right to my side, slightly bumping Jase out of the way.

"Why do you need to scare me like that?" he asked as he laid a soft kiss on my cheek. Jase and Annabeth were staring at us quite flabbergasted, so I kind of felt obligated to clear things up.

"Um, Jase, Beth, this is…" I started but my courage left me when I saw how furious Jase looked. I swallowed hard.

"Jake." Jake finished for me as he held his hand out to Jason. "Jacob Tyler"


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey, here's chapter 19. Hope you guys enjoy! If you do, please review! :)**

Jake POV

I personally thought the dude was going to have a nosebleed, he was so red in the face. He stared at my hand with what I could only assume was disgust. Well, so far the feeling's mutual.

"Jason." He said with a very tight lip and still scowling at my hand like I was filth. "Jason Grace." Well, at last I get to meet brother dearest. The problem was that he was still sneering at my hand.

"Do you have a problem with me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, dropping my hand.

"No, you are my problem." He said standing up and crossing his arms over his quite broad chest. "You gave my sister a panic attack. She does not panic, ever. Hades, she does not even get nervous." He yelled swinging his arm in Thalia's direction. In the corner of my eye I saw Thalia creep into herself and something inside of me snapped. He opened his mouth to say something else but I stopped him by simply raising a finger.

"I'll be right back." I whispered into Thalia's ear and gave her a little peck on the forehead. I then stood up. I got a brief look at his flabbergasted face before I pulled the man out of the room by the scruff of his neck. I didn't even notice Thalia's shocked expression before she tried to get up and Beth pushed her back down into bed. Once outside, I flung Jason out in front of me.

Now I know what you're thinking. How could I be so rude to someone who has about twenty years on me? Truth is I didn't care. He was hurting Thalia, or at least making her uncomfortable, and I had a bit of a protective tendency…sue me. He was flailing his arms as he stumbled forward, but he soon regained his composure.

"How dare you? Do you know who…" he started completely livid but I really wasn't in the mood to listen to hear him ramble on about the things he'd done or how powerful his daddy is.

"Oh, shut up." I heard a collective gasp from the surrounding crowd, which I just realized was gathering. "All I know is that you're the ass I'm about to kick." I said with a satisfied grin as I watched him open and close his mouth like a fish on dried land. Then I saw something click behind his eyes and the smell of ozone was suddenly very potent.

"Suit yourself." He said with raised eyebrows and a smile. I heard it before it hit. I dived right and saw the flash of lightning streak pass only a few inches to my left. I raised my arms as I stood and slab of stone shot out of the ground and landed square on his jaw. I felt the vibrations of the hit through the earth and a smug little smile played at my lips.

He stumbled backwards bringing his hands up to his jaw. His eyes flickered to someone in the crowd in what I believe was a little panic. I can't tell you who he was looking at, because if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that you should never take your eyes off your opponent. I did however take advantage of his distracted state. I summoned a boney hand to grip at his ankle and keep him in place. He didn't even realize until he tried lunging at me and found he couldn't move.

"You're not the only one with a powerful father, Jason." I said with raised eyebrows. His eyes flickered to the crowd again and back to me.

"Who are you?" he asked with narrowed eyes. I suddenly realized that everyone was staring at me. My eyes scanned the crowd. I saw Thalia shuffle out with Beth. I saw a native American women standing with a blond teenage girl. Someone stood out above all though, a tall, slender figure with pale olive skin, a mop of pitch black hair, staring at me with almost as black, wide eyes.

The man was definitely Italian and he had a strong scent of death radiating from him. The shadows also seemed to be drawn to him. Could this be Nico di Angelo? Could this man be my father? I guess we kind of looked alike but could it really be him? That scent of death, however, told me he was a child of the Underworld, just like me. I bit my lip, as I wondered how to introduce myself. Finally I just thought that if it wasn't him, there would be no harm done and went for it.

"I am Jacob Tyler di Angelo." I said without looking away from the Italian man. It was the first time I have acknowledged him and it felt good, like I had someone to back me up. I have no idea how someone so pale can pale even further, but he did. Oh, so he must be Nico. Silence fell over the crowd as every head snapped to the pale Italian.

A dark haired woman raced to him and started whispering in his ear. After a moment he simply nodded and walked toward me. With a wave of his hand he released Jason. He grabbed my arm and in an instant we were falling through the shadows. We emerged into the Ping-Pong table room, the Ms. Packman game still blinking away happily. The Italian started pacing the room, rubbing his hands over his face and the back of his neck. After a while he came to a stop in front of me, sticking out his hand.

"Nico di Angelo." He said eyeing me nervously. I took his hand with a rather shaky one of mine.

"Jake." I said holding his gaze. I was almost sick. Before me stood the father I believed never wanted me, the man who apparently would have done ten times more than my mother if he had known about me. Somehow, a handshake didn't seem enough. I wanted to hug him, shove him away and maybe even kiss him at the same time.

"Di Angelo, huh? Would you care to explain that to me?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows. Just as I opened my mouth the dark haired woman burst into the room and took Nico's hand. Thalia was soon to follow with Jason, Beth and a dark haired man with green eyes.

"Well…" I started, unsure of what to say. How do you tell a guy he's your father with an audience? "…You're kind of my father." I saw confusion on all the surrounding faces, accept Thalia who came over and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "My mother was Kayla Tyler. She fell in love with you after the Giant war. You were dating a Will Solace when she finally got the courage to do something. She just wanted one night with you, just to say that she had you for a while." Now that I started, the words just kept flowing out. I couldn't stop it.

"She was a daughter of Apollo and used biokinesis to change her body to look like Will and had her night with the ghost king. That's how I was conceived. You are my father." I said looking Nico in the eye. "If you don't believe me, you can go ask Artemis. She's the one who told me." all eyes were on Nico again. He shocked everyone by stepping forward and pulling me into a hug.

"My son…" he whispered to me and for the first time in my life, I was held by a true father.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! So sorry I posted the same chapter twice. It was a little slip of the finger, but thanks to a very nice quest who pointed it out to me, I fixed it and you get your new chapter! So here's chapter 20.**

**I'm very excited about this chapter because it's from a new POV. Please let me know what you guys think!**

**I hope you enjoy and if you do, PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

Nico POV

If you don't know the feeling of holding your child in your arms, I genuinely pity you. Those are the moments that I cherish most. The boy, or rather man, stiffened in my arms for a moment before he held me as well. I say man because the boy is about 3 inches taller than me. I held him out at arm's length to examine him. He had my dark hair, that's for sure, but other than that and maybe his jawline and cheekbones, we didn't look that much alike.

His eyes, for instance, was crystal blue and they sparkled like diamonds. He had olive skin, but a tan, I would even say sunkissed, olive skin. He had a slender figure, but it was still muscular compared to mine. I suppose being part Apollo, god of male beauty, has its advantages. He looked more like a mini Will with black hair than he did a mini me. I guess the fates heard my prayers all those years ago…

I heard someone clear their throat and my head snapped back to my friends. They were all standing there awkwardly. Apparently Reyna had been the one to clear her throat, because she was inching toward me with furrowed eyebrows.

"Can you believe it?" I asked her with a smile. She gave me a halfhearted smile in return. I guess she was still processing it. I didn't care though. I had another son and I definitely had to make up for the years I missed. "I have another son! It's wonderful!" I said clapping Jacob, or maybe he prefers Jake, on the back. I furrowed my eyebrows when he flinched away from my hand. Why would he do that? If he was abused I will personally escort the bastard who did it to Tartarus.

"Yes, wonderful…" Reyna said eyeing Jake carefully. I saw his head drop and he started rubbing his arm. What was her problem? He's my son. She should be welcoming him, not making him feel uncomfortable or unwanted. I suffered through enough of that so my children don't have to.

"Nico, may I have a word?" she asked sweetly with an undertone of fakeness while she pulled me off to the corner. Once there I raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Are you sure he's yours? I mean, can't he just be a son of Hades? Just because he's got your powers, doesn't mean he's your son. You don't even look alike." She said in a frantic whisper.

"If you like, I will ask my father if he had any children he didn't tell us about, or even better, I will go ask Artemis, the goddess of childbirth, since he said we could if we didn't believe him…" I whispered back "…but in the meantime, I am pretty sure he is my son and I will treat him as such and so will you." I said with the sternest face I have ever used. She glanced back at a nervous looking Jake with Thalia buzzing around him, before she gave a curt nod.

"Now, Jake right?" I spoke as I turned to face him. He gave me a nod and a smile and I got a flash of brilliantly white teeth that looked like ivory or pearls, I couldn't decide. "Let us introduce ourselves. You have already met Jason and Annabeth." I motioned to a still slightly upset Jason and a waving Annabeth. "That is Percy, Annabeth's husband and Seaweed Brain." I said swinging an arm in Perce's direction. He replied by rolling his eyes and stepping forward toward Jake.

"And I am also the man who is apparently not your father's type." He said with a lazy smile, taking an awkward looking Jake's hand in a handshake.

"And this is my wife, Reyna." I said placing my hand on the small of her back and pushing her forward.

"Welcome to the family, Jake." She said with a smile. She didn't make a move to touch him though, and oddly enough he didn't seem bothered by it. Maybe he didn't like being touched either.

"Thank you." He said with a small smile and a slight bow of his head.

"Everyone, this is Jake, my son." I said with a bright smile. I couldn't help but think that I'm smiling a lot more than I used to, but could you really blame me? my family just grew again. "Now I am sure I missed a lot in the past few years, and I want to hear everything, so let's take a walk." I said pulling a wide eyed Jake, who quickly glanced back at Thalia, outside and towards the woods.

We walked in silence before we came to a clearing I found just after the giant war. I thought it would be appropriate since I always came here if I needed to think things over. I sat down with my back to a log and stared up at him.

"So, what do I need to know about you?" he shuffled around a bit before plopping down across from me, pulling his legs up and resting his arms on his knees.

"I don't know where to begin really…" he said rubbing the back of his neck "…I suppose I can start with I'm not human…" he said glancing up at me from under his hair. I noticed he wore his hair in an upper cut that had quite long bangs.

"Well duh…" I said with a chuckle "…you're a demigod."

"Well, yes and no." he said weighing his head left and right.

"What do you mean?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"I'm a werewolf." He said in a small voice, looking down at his lap.

"A werewolf?" I asked not sure what to do with my hands. I just hoped it didn't look as weird as it felt. He simply gave me a slow little nod. "Okay, that's interesting." I said with a voice an octave higher than normal. "Since when?" I asked resting my chin in one of my hands.

"Since I was seven." He said watching me closely for my reaction.

"How old are you know?" I asked.

"Seventeen…" he said and I nodded. So he's been a werewolf for ten years.

"Alright, continue please." I said while motioning with my hand.

"Well, Mum married this guy after I was born. He was nice at first, he protected us well enough…" I clenched my jaw at the '_at first_' and it seemed he noticed because it looked like he was choosing his next words carefully. "…because he was the alpha of a werewolf pack, so it was like having a lot of guard dogs." He said with a forced smile.

"He just lost control one day and…" he scrunched up his face, trying to find the right words "…and gave me a little nip." He said avoiding my eyes. "That's how I joined the pack. Mum left just after that, because she didn't like her chances with two wolves in the house." He said, his face dropping completely.

"Your mother left?" I said with raised eyebrows. How dare she leave our little boy? She was the reason I never knew about him. She was the reason I wasn't in his life, and she left him? My voice must have been harsher than intended, because Jake's head snapped up with wide eyes.

"No, no, no, it's not like that. I don't blame her. Besides, she left me with Oliver, and he really did protect me." he said in a frantic voice.

"If he protected you so much, where is he now?" I asked with raised eyebrows, crossing my arms over my chest. Jake started to fidget at that, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I sort of...might of…killed him…" he said with a weak little chuckle.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! Here's a new chapter for you all. I really enjoyed writing this one, so I hope with all my heart that you guys enjoy it! Oh, and remember...if you do, please review! :) **

Jake POV

Dead silence fell between us. I sat there waiting for something, although I wasn't sure what. I mean, how do normal fathers react to their kids telling them they killed somebody? I had a feeling it should be something in the line of an explosion. I expected him to at least back away in fear a little, but no, that's not what he did. He furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side.

"Why?" was his simple question. It made me wonder what he has gone through. How could he be so calm about killing people? Had he killed someone himself? He seemed to notice my surprise, because he let out a little chuckle.

"Considering who my father is, did you really think death would freak me out?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "We're actually old friends, Thanatos and I." he said with a little wink.

"Okay, well…I challenged him to be alpha…and I won…" I said rubbing the back of my neck. He blinked once, twice, and then a smile creeped onto his face.

"So, you're alpha now?" he asked and I gave him a little nod. He sat back and his smile softened. "Well, then you've done well for yourself kiddo." He said and his eyes roamed over me for a second. "Here's a question. What is going on between you and Thals?" Off course he had to ask that, any father would. I was still a little freaked that Thals was so close with him, though.

"We're together…" he raised an eyebrow at me "…she left the hunters, so its legal." I said, trying for a smile, but he just furrowed his eyebrows at that.

"She left the hunters…" he drawled and I gave him a nod "…for you?" wow, wasn't expecting that. I haven't thought about it like that. She said that she left the hunters because she wanted something else, but I guess it never sunk in that I was that something else.

"I guess so…" I said with a shy smile, rubbing the back of my neck once again. Is it just me or am I doing that a lot more around him?

"No wonder Jase was upset." He said with a chuckle. "I'm actually surprised he didn't try to kill you on the spot."

"He would have come second if he did." I said with a smirk.

"Oh, I'm sure he would oh mighty alpha." He said with a smile. I stared at him in wonder. How is he so comfortable with me already? I mean, for all he knows I might not even by his kid…

"What about you?" I asked and his face fell.

"What about me?" he asked curtly, suddenly very closed off.

"What did I miss the last couple of years?" I asked cautiously.

"Not much really. You should meet the twins though. Bianca and Marcello." He said briskly. We sat there for a while before he stood with a sigh. He stretched his arms over his head and as his shirt rode up I caught a glimpse of a scar running over his hip. He didn't give me a chance to get a proper look though, as he straightened himself again. "We should be getting back." he said while pointing in the camp's direction.

"How old are the twins?" I asked as I fell into step next to him.

"Fifteen." He said with a fond little smile. "Luckily for them both, they took more after Reyna." he said with a chuckle and then he glanced over at me. "You're lucky too. You definitely took more after your mother." He said and a sad look fell over his eyes.

"I used to pray to the gods when Will and I were still together, to grant me a child that looked like him." He said staring off into space. "I guess they answered my prayers with you." He glanced at me with a sad smile. "I mean look at you." He said swinging his arm toward me. "Just put you in a blonde wig and nobody would know the difference." I found myself rubbing at my neck again.

"Come on…" he said with a sigh "…I think it's time you met your brother and sister."

"Bianca and Marcello?" I asked and he nodded back at me while we made our way back to camp. "Is there a story behind their names?"

"Bianca was my sister's name. She died when I was young." He said with a dark look. "Marcello on the other hand was all Reyna's doing." He said raising his hands. "It means warrior derived from Latin. She was born from Bellona, roman goddess of war, so she thought it would be appropriate if her son was named a warrior."

He glanced back at me with furrowed eyebrows. "Is there a story behind your name?"

"Mum said it means 'may God protect'. She said it will protect me the day she couldn't anymore." I said looking down at my feet. "I guess she was always planning on leaving…" Nico stopped and tilted my chin so he could look me in the eye.

"Well, it's her loss she didn't get to see what you've become." He said with a look of determination. "And I promise you now that I will never leave you. I will protect you and I will kill all those who hurt you, beginning with whoever abused you." I nearly choked on my own saliva.

"What?" I asked wide eyed.

"I'm not stupid Jake. I saw the way you flinched away from me earlier." He said with a raised eyebrow before his gaze softened. "Someone hurt you, someone hurt my little boy, and I don't like that." I know he was just being a protective father, but I wasn't his. I belonged to no one and I could take care of myself. I slapped his hands away and took off to the camp the wolves had set up.

Nico was right behind me though and pulled my arm so I faced him. "Just tell me who it was, Jake." I shrugged out of his grip.

"You don't have to worry about it. I took care of it myself, just like I've been doing for the last ten years." I growled. "I don't need you protecting me! I can protect my fucking self!" I yelled without caring who might hear. I turned again and bolted to the camp, leaving Nico to stare after me.

I came to my tent and ducked inside. I fell onto the bed with a sigh and buried my face in the pillow. After a while I heard someone come in. I felt the bed shift under their weight as whoever it was sat down next to me. A finger started to draw circles on my back and I took a deep breath and relaxed. Normally I hated people touching me, but when the person smells of ozone and pine needles, it has the opposite effect.

I loved Thalia's touch. It was addictive and I was completely hooked. I turned around and she continued the circles on my chest as I pulled her closer.

"Well, this was an eventful birthday." She said simply in a soft voice. I raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She gave me a soft and caring smile. "I joined the hunters the day before my birthday. I quit yesterday which means today is my physical birthday. You know, as in my body turned sixteen today."

"Well, I guess you need a special birthday treat then…" I said wiggling my eyebrows at her and slipping my hand up her shirt. She burst out laughing, giving me a little slap on the chest.

"I think that would be more of a treat for you…" she said with a smirk "…I was actually thinking more in the lines of a bite…" she said drawing circles on my chest again. I let my head fall back on the pillow with a sigh. Why was everyone so testing today? I sat up again to look her in the eyes.

"I'll make you a deal." I said with a stern look. "If you still want it after the war, I'll bite you." I said sticking out my hand.

"War?" she asked carefully.

"The demon is coming Thals. There will be war." She nodded once before she took my hand.

"Deal."


	22. Chapter 22

**Here's chapter 22 for you guys. Hope you enjoy it and remember...if you do, please REVIEW! :)**

Thalia POV

When I woke up, Jake was already gone. I touched his, still slightly warm, side of the bed which at least told me he hadn't been gone too long. I stepped outside to find Mel and Jade by the campfire. It kind of amazed me that their camp looked exactly the same it had outside Camp Half-blood. The only difference was that it had the cabins to the west, lake to the south, mess hall to the north and amphitheater to the east.

"Morning." Mel chirped happily. "You just missed the boys. They went to see if there's something to eat in the woods." She said before going back to sipping from the cup in her hands. Then her eyes shot up at me like a nervous squirrel. "Coffee?" she asked all smiles again and I just had to smile. Jade simply shook her head while handing me a cup as well.

"At least I remember how you drink it." she said with a sad smile. We sat down on a log next to a buzzing Mel.

"Do you miss the hunters?" I asked looking at the girl beside me. She gave me another sad smile.

"Sometimes." She said softly. "A little more these last few days." She said looking down at her lap. Then I realized how hard it must have been for her to be around us, knowing she can't ever be a hunter again. Well, I guess I can't say us anymore. Now it's _them._ Then a thought hit me.

"That night we found the strawberries…you grew them for us, didn't you?" She started to chuckle.

"I guess I just wanted to make you guys happy for old time's sake." She said taking a sip from her cup. She then turned to me with a frown. "What's going on with you and Jake though? Have you talked about you joining the pack yet?"

"He said if I still wanted it after the war, he'll bite me in." I said with a sigh taking a sip from my own coffee. She really did remember because it was perfect. Two sugars and a dash of milk.

"I can't believe him…" she said shaking her head "…you gave up the hunters for him and he still has doubts? I'm really going to have to knock some sense into him." I stared at her for a moment. She looked truly upset.

"You just want a hunter friend stuck here with you." Mel piped up next to me and I jumped slightly. I had sort of forgotten she was there. She didn't look buzzed anymore though. She looked alert and awake, like a predator.

"Oh, so you've woken up now?" Jade asked with a cocked eyebrow. Mel turned so face me and her chocolate eyes didn't look so warm anymore. They looked fierce and determined and for the first time she kind of scared me.

"He doesn't doubt you, Thalia…" she said, a shadow falling over her face "…he doubts himself. Try to see it from his eyes. He has all these wolves to protect." She said, waving her hand around camp. "You already saw that he was willing to sacrifice himself for a pack mate." She gave Jade a pointed look and Jade's gaze fell down to her lap.

"What happens if he bites you into the pack and he dies in the war?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "You're stuck here." She said and anger flashed in her eyes. "You would become the new alpha seeing that you were the alpha's mate. You would be forced into a life where you are reminded of him every second of every day." She said in a tight voice, like she was on the verge of tears.

"You see, he doesn't think he's good or strong enough to survive this war. He's only trying to ensure you can have a happy life after he's gone." her voice actually broke a little this time. "Everything he does is to protect someone. If there is one word to describe him, it's selfless." She said and then she jerked her head to the side and put a smile on her face like she didn't have a care in the world.

I was a little freaked to say the least. Was these mood swings a normal thing with her? I glanced back at Jade just to see that she had a smile on her face as well. I followed their gaze to find the boys coming into camp. I really needed to get used to these enhanced senses of wolves. Jake came and dropped down on the floor, leaning back against my legs

"There isn't much besides monsters in the woods." He said running a hand through his hair. Then he plucked my coffee out of my hands and took a swig from it. "Thanks." He said tilting his head back and giving me a wink. I just had time to think that even an upside down Jake is still the hottest thing I've ever seen before the sound of a horn echoed through the air. I heard hoofs approaching and saw Chiron trotting up to us, or rather Jake.

"I was wondering if you would like join us for breakfast." He said with a warm smile. Jake stood up and straightened himself.

"We would love to. Thank you." He said with a smile of his own.

"Good, we've prepared a table for you, if you would follow me." he said turning toward the mess hall.

All eyes turned toward us when we walked in. I glanced at Jake to find him completely rigid. Oh yes, like father like son. I gently tugged his arm and his head snapped to me. 'Relax' I mouthed to him and started to pull him through the crowd to the table where Chiron was waiting for us. He was nervous throughout the entire breakfast, his leg jumping his eyes darting everywhere in the room. He really didn't like being the center of attention.

He suddenly just stopped. He froze and darkness began to gather around him. I followed his gaze and saw Nico with Reyna and the twins, who were staring at him with frowns. I looked back at his clenched jaw and I realized I never asked him how things with Nico went. I guess I just assumed it went well, considering Nico's joy before they went off alone. I thought he was just tired last night, I mean he surely had the right to be. Now I wasn't so sure though. I was ripped out of my thoughts by Chiron slamming his hoof on the floor.

"Morning, I would like to welcome all the campers as well as our guests." He started spreading his arms to crowd. "Firstly, welcome to the retired campers who have come for the reunion. Also, welcome to the legacies who joined their parents in their visit." He smiled warmly, that fatherly smile that made him Chiron, at the crowd, his eyes finding those he addressed. "I would also like to welcome our allies, the hunters…" he turned his smile on the Artemis table "… and the Lycanthrope pack." He said, turning his smile on our table. In the corner of my eye I saw Jake roll his eyes.

Chiron's expression then turned somber. "And that brings me to the reason for their visit." He said lacing his fingers together in front of him. "I am afraid we are going to find ourselves in another war, dear children. However, the hunters and pack have agreed to fight this war with us." He came over to Jake and bent down to whisper to him. "Would mind speaking to them?" he asked with concern. Jake slightly shook his head before he stood up and cleared his throat.

"We know our enemy." He said in a strong voice that rang with authority and I was reminded of his howl yet again. "We know what we're up against." I saw something like fear flicker in his eyes for just a split second before he steeled himself again. "Please allow us to help you prepare, because trust me when I say, you need all the help you can get and you don't have much time to receive it." There were murmurs that echoed through the hall.

"What can you teach us, anyway?" A guy from the Ares table called out. Shadows started to grow around Jake. It all happened so fast. A hunting knife slid into Jake's hand. It actually looked like it came out of his arm. A slab of rock sprang up behind the Ares kid and in a flash of metal the knife was embedded hilt deep in the stone mere millimeters from the guy's ear.

"Well, for starters…" Jake said with a satisfied grin when the guy screamed like a girl "…a little thing we like to call bio-armor."


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi guys, sorry for the wait, but here's chapter 23. **

**Just a quick word. The two new names in this chapter is Ava and Cato. Ava is a German name that means "desired", and even though it is the first name that doesn't have some Greek or Latin ties, I still think it fits really well. Cato is a Latin name meaning "clever", which I thought was appropriate because he is after all one of the creators of the bio-armor and there was hints that he was the one to help Jake charm his ring. okay, that all.**

**Please enjoy, and if you do...PLEASE REVIEW!**

Nico POV

I found myself staring at the young man with a smile on my face and a small chuckle in my throat. I just loved this kid. Don't get me wrong, I love the twins just as much, but sometimes with them, Reyna's self-discipline comes through too much for my liking. A sharp jab in my side brought me out of my wonder. I turned to see Reyna glaring at me.

"It's no laughing matter!" she scolded in a whisper.

"Well, I don't know…" I started in my most innocent voice "…it seemed pretty funny to me…" the twins started shaking slightly in their silent laughter.

"He could have killed the boy!" she hissed. I let out a long sigh.

"After all these years with me, you're still afraid of death?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow. She rolled her eyes at me with a sigh. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by a string of curses.

The Ares kid had regained his composure and was now yelling obscenities at Jake. He produced a dagger and charged Jake. Jake was fast though, very fast. Jake ducked under the kid's arm and gave him a kick on the behind as he rushed past. I saw a little smile tug on Jake's lips. The kid turned around and I swore he was going to burst, judging by his red face. He made to lunge again but a firm hand stopped him. Chiron then cleared his throat.

"Thank you for the demonstration Jacob, my boy, but perhaps it would be wise for us to continue it in the arena?" he said in a manner that was more an order than a question.

"You're right as always, Chiron." Jake said with a little bow of the head, that little smirk still tugging at his lips. Chiron gave him a curt nod before turning toward the hall.

"Everyone is to report to the Arena in fifteen minutes." He said before galloping off. Fifteen minutes later I found myself in the arena's stand with Reyna beside Hazel and Frank. The twins were sitting with Percy's kids. Jake was talking to a few people down below. Chiron trotted up and cleared his throat. Silence immediately fell over the stands.

"We don't have much time so let us begin. Jacob, my boy, I believe you wanted to start with bio-armor?" he said stepping aside and Jake gave him a nod and stepped forward. Jake nodded at a girl and boy behind him and they stepped forward.

"This is Ava, daughter of Aphrodite…" he motioned toward the girl. Her bleach blonde hair was up in a high ponytail that draped over her shoulder and reached down to her bellybutton. Her eyes were almond shaped and sky blue with flecks of green and a few freckles littered her face. She was tall and skinny, but muscle could clearly be seen.

A few wolf whistles echoed through the crowd, but they were cut off by a single predatory glare from the blonde. She definitely looked a hundred times more lethal than any child of Aphrodite in the camp, except maybe Piper.

"…and Cato, son of Trivia." He said waving toward the boy next. He was about two inches shorter than Ava. A pair of frameless glasses was perched on his nose. He had short cropped, strawberry blonde hair and chocolate eyes. His eyes were a little unnerving though. They had a certain edge to them that could only come from seeing horrors, and no doubt they have seen horrors.

"They are the creators of the bio-armor. They will be dressing each camper in the coming weeks." He said and with a nod, both kids stepped back into line. He gave another boy a nod and said boy stepped forward. I couldn't help but think about how disciplined these children were. A sense of pride washed over me as I thought 'yeah, that's my boy'.

"This is Alex, son of Vulcan and creator of all our weapons." He said throwing an arm around the other boy. Alex was tall, only about three inches shorter than Jake. He had sandy hair and hazel eyes. He looked like a warm kind of guy as he smiled up at Jake. Jake seemed to relax quite a lot in the boys presence as a smile flashed across his face and I caught a glimpse of ivory like teeth.

"He will be decking all of you out, but as you can imagine, he will not be able to do this alone. Therefore he will need the help of the Hepheastus kids." He said looking at Chiron, who gave him a nod. "The same goes for the children of Aphrodite and Hecate. Ava and Cato will need your help as well." He dismissed Alex by clapping him on the shoulder.

"Now, I believe it is only appropriate for all of you to see the extant of bio-armor." He said rubbing his hands together.

Jake went to stand in the middle of the arena. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A moment later his clothes seemed to morph. It truly did seem like his clothes were alive. It moved and flowed along his body until he stood there in combat boots, tight dark jeans and black, leather armor over a black tank top. Strands of black leather flowed from his shoulders and fitted themselves on his forearms and left bicep. In a metallic flash there was a silver band around his right bicep with a gem studded in the middle of it. Wait, wasn't silver toxic to werewolves? I raised a questioning eyebrow at Hazel.

"White gold..." she said focusing on the band "…with a Moonstone." She said with a furrowed eyebrow. "That's really rare." She said still eyeing the band with the gem. Jake wasn't done though. Two swords grew out of his back, were they formed an x. Small knifes, probably throwing knifes, appeared on the band around his left bicep. Two hunting knifes socketed themselves on the outside of his right forearm and the inside of his left. A small disk grew onto the outside of his left forearm and an arrow head appeared on his right wrist, right over his pulse as a black knuckle duster grew on his left hand.

I found my mouth fall open as I saw my son morph into a deluxe killing machine. He opened his eyes and flexed his arms and hands. To my surprise the knuckle duster flexed along with his fingers. I looked over at Reyna to see her staring with wide eyes. There wasn't a single sound in the arena. It seemed like everyone was holding their breaths, afraid that the smallest movement will set of the beast that now stood in front of them.

"So…yeah…" he said clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck. I almost burst out laughing. It just seemed so surreal that he could be nervous when he could easily kill anyone here. "…any volunteers to test the strength or something?" he said with a shrug. To nobody's surprise the Ares kid Jake almost skewered stood up with a wicked grin. He walked down into the arena and to the weapons rack, picking up a nasty looking battle axe with spikes sticking out at both ends of the handle. The idiot didn't even try for armor or a shield.

"Oh, I wish I had some popcorn right now." Frank said while his lips tilted up at the corners. He only received a glare from Hazel and off course I offered him a smile with a nod. Through the years I've grown quite fond of the big guy. Hazel says he's gotten a little more violent after the giant war, to an extant off course. He has never harmed anyone he cared for. He is actually very protective. Personally, that's why I've grown fond of him. I just saw it as him manning up a bit.

Jake simply rolled his eyes as the kid charged him. It was all over in about five seconds. Jake flexed his left hand and a bow grew from the knuckle duster instantly. He went on to flex his right wrist and an arrow sprang out of his arm from where the arrow head was, only to be replaced by another arrow head the moment it left his arm. He knocked it, drew back and let the arrow fly right into the kid's foot, pinning him to the floor. The guy toppled over and hit his jaw square on the ground. He was out cold before he even reached Jake. That proud feeling washed over me once more.

"So…" Jake said with a big sigh as he turned back to the stands "…anyone else?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys. Here's chapter 24. i just wanted to let you know that my classes start on the second of February, so I might be updating less frequently, but please just bare with me.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy :)**

Jake POV

I was exhausted. I spent the rest of the day fighting all the Ares kids, because apparently I dishonored their brother, and let me tell you, they weren't all pushovers like their _dear brother_. So I found myself trudging back to the wolf camp after dinner, battered and bruised, but at least I was still looking better than my opponents.

"Where's Thals?" I asked as I came up to the campfire.

"Don't know." Jade said, never even lifting her gaze from the flames, contently wrapped in Alex's arms, sipping from her cup. It's in times like these I actually enjoy being a werewolf, because I simply followed my nose and found Thals under her tree, curled up with her legs to her chest, still in shorts and a tank top. She didn't hear me approach, but then again I don't know how she could with her teeth clattering like that.

"Cold?" I asked with a smirk. She jumped at the sound of my voice by her ear, but quickly regained her composure to shoot me an electric glare.

"Don't scare me like that!" she growled and I had to chuckle at that, which resulted in her to intensify her glare tenfold.

"You're cute when you're angry." I whispered as I slid in next to her and wrapped my arms around the shaking girl. "How long have you been here?" I asked tilting her chin so she would look at me.

"I don't know. Is it time for dinner yet?" she asked with a blank expression.

"You missed dinner, Thals." I said with a frown. She simply shrugged and continued staring off into space like she did when I found her. I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off as if she was in a trance. "You wanted to hear the story behind this tree right?" she asked without looking at me or waiting for an answer.

"When I first made my way to camp, I wasn't traveling alone. As we came close, an army of monsters attacked. I told the others to go on without me and made my last stand right here…" she said brushing her hand across the ground "…Zeus took pity on me and turned me into a tree as I fell and I was the power behind the magical boundaries because Zeus didn't want any more demigods to fall like I did…" she looked up into the branches and as I followed her gaze I saw a golden sheep skin "…I was revived by the golden fleece a few years later but my tree still remained…" she continued her staring off into space once again.

"Something wrong, love?" I whispered in her ear and she turned to me with a strange look in her eyes, almost like she was searching for something. I furrowed my eyebrows at her. I have never seen her deep in thought like this before. It seemed wrong. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying she's stupid and she never thinks. I know she's smart, but she just always covers up everything. She was always strong and sure, and now she seemed questioning.

"No, nothing." She said in an innocent voice that was easier to see through than glass. I cocked an eyebrow at her and her gaze fell into her lap.

"You can tell me Thals." I said cupping her cheek.

"You don't even realize it, do you?" she asked so softly that even I had trouble hearing her.

"Realize what?" I whispered back. She looked up at me and I figured out the strange look she had given me. She was scared. I've seen her startled, worried, surprised, but never scared. It was unnerving. What could possibly scare the princess of Olympus? I saw tears start to rim around those beautiful blue orbs and my heart sank. I didn't want her to cry. I wanted her to laugh and be happy, to playfully slap my arm, anything but this.

"The look you get when you fight." She whispered and my chest spasmed as her voice broke at the end. The look I get? I really didn't realize I got a look. "You get this crazed look that makes you seem…" she said with her head tucked into her chest, like she was shielding herself "…savage." She whispered with an uncertain glance at me.

"I'm sorry…" I started, but she cut me off.

"I've only gotten glimpses of what you're really like, haven't I?" she asked and I furrowed my brow. "You're much more dangerous than most monsters, aren't you?" she asked when I didn't answer her. Wait, was she scared of me? The very idea sickened me. It made me feel guilty that I enjoyed the perks of this fucking curse. I let go of her instantly and stumbled away from her.

"I'm sorry." That was the last and only thing I said before I ran. I didn't know why or where I was running. I just knew that I needed to get away. Thalia was pure. She was good. She deserved better. She deserved a better life than this. What was I thinking? I'm only a mutt. Why would a princess want me? Why would anyone want me? My own mother didn't want me…

Besides, she needs someone better. Someone who will protect her and keep her from harm, someone who would give her everything she had always wanted. She doesn't deserve anything less.

I kept running. Without even noticing it I made my way to the clearing Nico had taken me. I don't know why I went there, other than the fact my feet thought it would be a great place to go. I plopped down with my back against the log. I was vaguely aware of a few rustlings in the woods but I didn't care. _Oh please, monsters, please just eat me and rid the world of this horrid abomination._ I pulled my knees up and grossed my arms over them, letting my head fall on them.

I sat there. I can't tell you how long, but I just sat there unmoving. It was like my body just completely shut down. All sounds were mushed together in a slight buzz. That buzz and the black behind my eyelids were soon like a cocoon. That's why I instantly lashed out when I felt something touch me. In an instant I had the intruder pinned to the floor just to see dark eyes staring up at me.

It took me a second to realize I was kind of choking Nico with my knee. I fell back immediately as he continued to watch me with wide eyes._ Good going, genius. Now someone else is afraid of you too. _I mentally glared at the voice in my head. _Maybe you should have just given up years ago. Your mother saw how weak you were. She didn't think you could protect her…that's why she left…_I clawed at my head as the voices continued to scream at me.

'_I'm sorry'_ was glued to my lips as my mind decided to show me every ghost. Mom, _'I'm sorry'_. Thalia, _'I'm sorry'_. Nico_, 'I'm sorry'_. Every wolf I've killed in a challenge, _'I'm sorry'_.

_Vera…'I'm sorry'…_

I felt myself being shifted and I felt arms wrap around me. I just let it happen. I let Nico pull me closer and I let him hold me. I felt tears threatening to spill and for the first time since _she_ died, I let them. I let the tears flow down my cheeks. I felt my walls break and I sobbed into Nico's shoulder, effectively ruining his shirt.

"Something tells me you didn't tell me the half of what happened to you." I heard Nico's voice whisper into my ear. "Please, Jake, just let me be your father." He whispered even softer. I looked up to find worried eyes searching my face.

"I'm sorry." I said and he gave me a sad smile. "He killed Vera."

"Who killed her?" he asked calmly.

"Oliver." I answered as my tears started to dry on my cheeks.

"Who was she?" he asked in that same calm manner.

"The first person who, for some unknown reason, truly loved me."

**Just a quick word. Vera is a Latin name that means 'true' or 'truth'. I chose it because Jake hasn't only been hiding his scars, but also some truth. :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy, and if you do...PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

Thalia POV

I tried following him for a while before I realized just how fast Jake was. I was, off course, an idiot for making him run in the first place, but I kept running until he was gone and out of sight. I felt the first tear run down my cheek as the last traces of Jake disappeared. I couldn't believe I was so idiotic. _Well done, Thalia, drive more people away. _

I would have been fine if he just chuckled and told me I had nothing to worry about, but _no_. Jake had to go and break my heart with the look in those damn eyes of his. I had hurt him, that much was obvious, and now he was running around going and doing Zeus knows what. He looked broken. There is no other way to describe it. It was like the beautiful crystals that were his eyes had simply splintered away, not even leaving a shimmer behind.

I stopped and I realized I had no idea where I was at. Damn blessing of Artemis. I'm going to need to learn to live without it, which means I had to train my damn bearings if I want navigation skills like a hunter again. Sadly, it was a little late for that. I was in the middle of the woods, alone and cold and I kept hearing rustlings in the bushes.

I knew one thing. I needed help. I did the one thing I could think of to get the attention of someone. I summoned the biggest lightning bolt I could manage and shot it straight at a nearby rock, which exploded into a million pieces. I fell to my knees, completely drained and waited. Not too long after that Chiron trotted up with a few campers in full battle armor. He took one glance at me, lifted me onto his back and carried me back to the infirmary where I promptly blacked out…

When I woke up a few sunrays were streaming through the open window. With a groan I threw my legs over the side of the bed and nearly lost my cookies. Once again I felt myself missing my blessing of Artemis. The increased stamina really helped a lot more than I thought it did. I stepped outside to see the sun just rising.

I had to find Jake. That I knew for sure. I didn't want to be alone anymore. I wanted, no, needed Jake. I had to apologize. Maybe he would forgive my idiotic moment. I made my way down the four steps and as my foot fell on the ground, Jake flew out from around the corner looking upset. He hasn't cooled off yet? Oops. I opened my mouth to start my, no doubt, stupid apology, but I never got the chance.

"Where's Reyna?" he asked in an almost panic, his eyes darting to everywhere but me. It hurt a little that he didn't even look at me.

"Don't know…" I said in an unusually small voice "…I just woke up." His eyes suddenly darted to me and then back to the infirmary. There was a flash of concern in his eyes before it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

He sniffed the air for a second and I would have laughed if one, my comment on his beast within being more dangerous than most monsters hadn't upset him, and two, I still hadn't apologized. His head jerked toward the cabins and he set off in a sprint, not even glancing back. Now I tried to keep up, I really did, but did I mention that boy is fast?

When I finally caught up to him, completely winded while he looked like his pulse didn't even quicken by the way, he was on the verge of banging the Hades cabin's door in. I could hear voices on the other side and then an eerie silence before Reyna opened the door drying her hair with a towel, but still managing that state of grace that made her seem like royalty.

"Jacob, what a surprise." She said a bit awkwardly as Marcello stepped out rubbing the back of his head. Jake quirked an eyebrow at her and she just shrugged. "He woke Bianca up by throwing a pitcher of water on her…" she said staring after her son "…she didn't take it well. Anyway, Nico's not here if you were looking for him."

"That's actually why I'm here. Do you know how to get to the Underworld?" he asked all anxious and fidgeting. She looked a little taken aback, but it was nothing compared to my jaw almost hitting the ground. Why? Did he want to go there? I know children of Hades go there all the time and come back, or at least Nico, but the thought of Jake going there still made my skin crawl.

"Why, I have personally never been there…" she said cautiously "…Nico didn't want me there, so why would you want to go there?"

"Nico went down to find Oliver." He said looking down at his feet. "Problem is Oliver isn't with Hades. He's with the demon." He looked up with tears brimming around his eyes. "I tried to tell him, but he didn't listen. I need to go find him and bring him back." he said in a, clearly forced, strong voice. Reyna turned pale and set her jaw.

"I knew you were going to be trouble." She hissed through clenched teeth. She wanted to continue, but Jake cut her off.

"Look, I know I'm not your favorite person. Hades, I might even be your least favorite person, but I need your help." He said with a sudden fire that somewhat resembled the crazed look he gets when he fights. "Please, help me save my dad." He said in a desperate tone. I think both Reyna and I were more shocked by the use of _'dad'_ than anything else. She actually dropped her towel.

"Thals…" she said with her eyes glued to Jake "…take him to Perce."

"Sure." I said before I started to tug him in the direction of the Poseidon cabin. As we got closer a smile spread across my face because I could already hear Annie.

"Perseus fucking Jackson, get your ass out of bed!" she hollered right before I knocked on the door. A snickering Luke opened the door and beckoned us inside. Did I mention that they named their first kid Luke? He was now sixteen and was a spitting image of Perce, except for the fact that he was blonde off course. We walked in to find Perce with his pillow wrapped securely over his head.

"You have the early class today!" Annie huffed. "What would the campers think if their instructor is late?" he moaned and rolled over, so I decided to wake him up like old times. I shocked him on the behind ever so lightly. He shot up with a yelp, which had all four his kids on the ground laughing and even had Annie grinning. I looked around at Jake and found him bemused and anxious. Oh shit, Nico.

"Actually, Annie." I said turning back. "You might need to take that class over from him." I said, earning myself an infamous Annabeth glare.

"Why?" was her simple reply.

"We need his help to save Nico." I said, which cued a huge sigh all around the room.

"When does anyone not need his help…" Annabeth mumbled as she trudged out the door. Perce on the other hand, was all smiles.

"So, where are we going?" he asked rubbing his hands together.

"The Underworld." Jake said next to me and Percy's smile faltered slightly before he gave us a nod.


End file.
